Research

TPRC is the preeminent annual interdisciplinary conference on communications, information, and Internet policy that convenes researchers and policymakers from law, economics, engineering, computer science, public policy, data science, social sciences, and related fields working in academia, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations around the world. TPRC is seeking submissions for its 52nd conference, including papers, posters, panels, tutorials and the Student Paper Competition. Paper and poster proposals can be submitted through March 15, 2024.

Maine is the first state in the country to have its Digital Equity Plan approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This is a major accomplishment in that this represents the first statewide Digital Equity Plan to ever be developed for our state (and the first tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—also known as Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). And, it is fitting that our Digital Equity Plan can now be put into motion ahead of any infrastructure deployed through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

This Digital Equity Plan for Older Adults and People with Disabilities in San Francisco details an extensive investigative and strategic planning process aimed at enhancing digital equity for San Francisco's older adults and people with disabilities. The primary goals of this Plan are to describe the digital equity barriers and needs of San Francisco's older adults and people with disabilities, as well as the organizations that serve them.

Through the implementation of two Executive Orders on equity and President Joe Biden's Investing in America Agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration is working to advance opportunity and make real the promise of America for everyone.  In the rural South and dense 

The Department of the Treasury released new analysis on the benefits of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda for Georgia.

Rural households were not as likely as their urban counterparts to enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal fund that is running out of money to help low income families connect to the internet. About a third (37 percent) of rural households that are eligible for the monthly discount on broadband subscriptions had enrolled in the program as of December 2023.

The study, conducted every five years, provides valuable data and insight on internet access and use, devices, digital skills, civic participation, training needs, and safety and security concerns. Results help guide the City and community digital equity programs to serve residents better.

Heavy use of social media among adolescents and pre-teens can lead to several poor health outcomes, ranging from unhealthy sleeping patterns and low self-esteem to greater exposure to cyberbullying. Although these are concerns for all parents, the Latino community is particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges as a result of social media use. This led the Omidy

This research explores the relationship between broadband availability and quality and entrepreneurship in rural regions in three states. It investigates the unique properties of rural locations as they may bear on connectivity's associations with various types of entrepreneurial endeavors.

To achieve true digital equity, deploying broadband to every household in the United States will not be enough. What is also needed are robust, comprehensive programs that address the human side of closing the digital divide and ensuring everyone has access to the technologies, skills, and opportunities necessary to thrive. Over the last seven months and with funding from the Digital Equity Act's State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have released draft digital equity plans for public review and comment.