TeleCommunity is a data-driven website with the mission of helping connect remote workers with rural communities. Workers can explore data to find and compare communities and locations. TeleCommunity can also help communities attract new workers by marketing themselves from the standpoint of tele-commuter readiness.
The remote workforce is exploding nationwide, even more so now due to COVID. A fundamental shift away from urban job hubs to a widely distributed workforce is occurring today, not only among tech and knowledge workers, but also tele-health workers, remote educators and others. This presents an opportunity for many communities to benefit economically; particularly rural communities and cities that have struggled to retain knowledge workers. TeleCommunity uses data that is relevant to attracting and supporting tele-commuters, we call this Telecommuter Readiness. The datasets we are developing address broadband, housing, livability, natural and cultural amenities, and quality of life.
Currently, TeleCommunity is a prototype application spawned from Tierra Plan's participation in the US Census Bureau's Open Innovation Labs The Opportunity Project (TOP) in late 2020. We were one of a handful of tech companies invited to build a digital product using Federal data to solve a national challenge statement. Our challenge statement was to foster economic development for rural committees and was championed by the EPA.
The protype you are viewing demonstrates a subset of data for one state: Louisiana. We are assembling additional data and plan to roll this out to other states, and ultimately the entire country. If you are interested in using this tool for your state, region, or community please contact us by email at info@tierraplan.com or via our website.