For the community to engage in activity and business online, community members - as well as the local activities and businesses - will need to have the necessary skills and hardware capabilities.

The following questions help gauge the level of local use of digital media technologies:

• Have you bought something online from a local retailer (can you)?
  
  
• Have you seen a local person on video?
  
  
• Have you used local entertainment or information provided on DVD, CD or online?
  
  
• Do you do local business-to-business online (commerce, transfers, tracking)?
  
  
• Where would you go for local digital media technology help?

Digital media technologies have changed many aspects of communication and exchange, opening new opportunities for businesses of all sizes, but especially for small-to-medium and new businesses and locally focused activity.