ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AND SERVICE ACCESSIBILITY IN COMMUNITIES: PUBLIC POLICY TO OVERCOME THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

Abstract

The paper conceptualizes and operationalizes a policy mix to narrow the digital divide across Ukrainian communities during wartime and recovery. The objective is to design a coherent architecture aligning network access, institutional e-service accessibility, and community-scale digital skills with EU acquis. Methodology: an interdisciplinary approach combining policy and legal analysis (Law of Ukraine «On Electronic Communications», «On Administrative Services», «On e-Identification and Trust Services»), secondary regulations on universal service, NCEC/MinDigital reports, the European Electronic Communications Code and the forthcoming EU Gigabit Infrastructure Act; sector statistics and reports; case studies of national roaming, rural broadband subsidy, the «Diia» platform, and the implementation of accessibility standards. Scientific novelty: a hybrid «access– service–skills» model for municipalities; evidence on the pivotal role of universal fixed broadband (≥30 Mbps) as a foundation for barrier-free e-government; and a measurable indicator set for local e-accessibility. Conclusions: policy should integrate (1) network access (universal service, streamlined gigabit-ready deployment, resilient back- ups); (2) institutional accessibility per DSTU ISO/IEC 40500 and DSTU EN 301 549 with multichannel service and offline duplication for vulnerable groups; (3) digital skills and trust programmes; (4) gradual integration into the EU «roam-like-at-home» area. Findings support the effectiveness of coupling market incentives, accessibility standards, and capability investments to overcome the digital divide at community level.