For a rural community, access to an opportunity may depend on both a physical journey and an online connection. A local plan needs to show how those links fit together.
Two forms of connection
The EU rural action plan brings together sustainable transport links, digitalisation, infrastructure and skills. Its connected rural areas section sets out the EU action plan for connected rural areas.
Follow a practical journey
Consider a fictional learner attending a course in a nearby town. An online booking system could simplify enrolment, but it would not establish that a suitable bus runs at the right time. Conversely, a bus route would not prove that online materials were accessible.
Reporting should identify which barrier a project addresses. Physical and digital connections can complement each other, but progress in one does not automatically resolve the other.
