April 2020

Sponsor 

The Plug

Date 
Thu, 04/16/2020 - 18:00

A live video discussion with policy research leaders and inclusive ecosystem executives on the future of Black business ecosystems as broadband policy and funding evolves amid the pandemic.

We’ll discuss research and efforts in place supporting policy work on the ground and what types of efforts cities are putting forth to mitigate barriers to access.



Post-Pandemic, Here’s How America Rises Again

Hopefully, when Congress gets done allocating several trillion dollars simply to keep the economy afloat, we will be able to have another discussion: What should we invest in so we don’t just burden young Americans with a mountain of new debt, but also arm them with the tools to grow out of it and still prosper in the 21st century? These could be the most important and precious dollars we spend, so we need to invest them wisely, as President Franklin D.

“Relevance” and “Price” as Determinants of Internet Non-Adoption: A Review of the Evidence

Explaining non-adoption for Internet service has led to a debate about whether non-adopters place a low value on Internet use or whether the price of connectivity is too high. Survey evidence consistently points to a lack of interest as more important than price, but a new report by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance claims that recent survey evidence points to price as the dominant cause. The conclusion is impermissible.

The Internet After COVID-19: Will We Mind the Gaps?

When it comes to the Internet, the COVID-19 crisis is teaching us that we’re so much better off than we could have been, but not as good as we need to be. COVID-19 is a stress test for many systems in the United States, most critically in our health, government, education, media, retail and financial services sectors. All of them are now depending more than ever on the Internet to serve their users. The current health crisis will likely peak some time this year, but our intensified reliance on digital technology will not.

'Digital town squares' boost internet speeds in mid-sized communities

Three mid-sized and rural communities are using the internet at faster speeds than ever before, according to smart city nonprofit US Ignite and the National Science Foundation, who shared success stories from the U.S.