Connect Humanity’s Post

If we want to strengthen the nation and our economy, it starts with providing access to safer, healthier, and connected communities. That starts with middle mile infrastructure that connects into underserved and excluded communities. California is enabling #digitalinclusion by building its own public network with the help of its partners, to provide affordable broadband to all. Read the latest here:

In 2022 the Adams admin killed NYCs plan to build municipal broadband infrastructure. In the years since then, almost 1 million New Yorkers relied on the federal Affordable Connectivity Program for high speed internet subsidies towards Verizon, Spectrum or Optimum aka Big Internet. With the federal program out of money this year and the city’s bandaid solution Big Apple Connect set to expire in 2025, these New Yorkers are at risk of losing high speed internet. At the same time, libraries, often a haven for internet usage, are also reducing hours due to budget cuts. For anyone reading this, you probably take high speed internet (to work, study, video call, watch tv, even…use AI tools) for granted. But in 2024 Big Internet has ensured it is not a universal right. When will we stop relying on Big Internet to “do the right thing”(I’m not even getting into issues of throttling speed or limiting infra to lower income neighborhoods)? What can we learn from mutual aid when it comes to broadband access? How can we support projects like NYC Mesh to take things into our own hands and provide reliable and sustainable high speed internet to New Yorkers?

Broadband access is essential for thriving communities, but many areas in Indiana remain underserved. With $868 million in federal BEAD funding and additional state grants, Indiana communities have a unique opportunity to close this gap. Read this article to learn how local governments can help bring high-speed internet to underserved areas. #Broadband #EconomicDevelopment #Government https://hubs.ly/Q02_jjLc0

Efforts to bridge the digital divide in rural America are gaining momentum. Balancing state and federal grants is key to ensuring reliable internet for even the most remote communities. Achieving universal connectivity requires collaboration, planning, and investment. https://lnkd.in/gnsCusYV #BroadbandAccess #RuralAmerica #DigitalEquity #UniversalConnectivity

Did you know that over 200,000 homes in South L.A., East L.A., and Boyle Heights don’t have Broadband internet access? Now with the development of the Community Broadband Networks, these homes will receive access to the internet services that they need, at a significantly lower cost, closing the gap in technology equity also known as the digital divide. Outcomes like these are one of the reasons that I love strategic communications. It goes beyond the business outcomes to create equitable changes for our communities and our lives by raising awareness, increasing engagement, and advocating for change. Here are a few communication strategies that the Digital Equity Team probably used to achieve these results, leading to greater access and upward mobility for low-income communities across L.A. 🔍 Research and Messaging: Initially, strategic communications teams likely researched to understand the needs and preferences of the target communities. This information helps in crafting messages that resonate with these communities, emphasizing benefits such as affordability and accessibility. 🤝 Partnership Coordination: Strategic communications were most likely integral in coordinating and maintaining relationships between government bodies and private sector partners through public-private partnerships. Leveraging effective communications they most likely worked to ensure alignment of goals, clarity of roles, and streamlined execution. 💡 Public Announcements and Awareness: Announcing the launch of the broadband service definitely involved careful planning to ensure that the message was clear and accessible to all stakeholders. Additionally, strategic communications teams likely designed a rollout strategy for announcements, using press releases, social media, community meetings, and possibly direct mail or local advertising to reach a broad audience. ⚖ Advocacy and Policy Support: Advocacy efforts most likely included creating briefing materials, presentations for stakeholders, and talking points for public officials to help gain support for the initiative at both the policy and community levels. 🚨 Crisis and Feedback Management: Post-announcement, strategic communications teams were probably responsible for managing feedback and potential criticisms. This involves monitoring public reaction, addressing concerns through FAQs, direct responses, or adjusting communication strategies as needed to maintain public trust and support for the initiative. 📣 Ongoing Engagement and Education: As the project moved forward, maintaining public interest and engagement was crucial. Strategic communications would handle ongoing updates, educational campaigns about how to sign up and benefit from the service, and success stories to ensure sustained interest and participation. Congrats to the Digital Equity Team and powerhouse Shayna Englin who serves as the Director of the Digital Equity Initiative at the California Community Foundation on a job well done!

As the Affordable Connectivity Program looks set to wind down over the next two months, millions of American families will face a choice between internet service and other daily essentials. But as Sean Gonsalves explains, there are host of communities that better prepared than others to absorb the blow of the ACP's demise. For the The American Prospect, Gonsalves profiles Chattanooga, Tennessee; Fort Collins, Colorado; Hillsboro, Oregon; and Pharr, Texas — four cities where residents have access to fast fiber internet, for as low as $10/month. What do all these communities have in common? They have community-focused, municipal broadband networks that prioritize the interests of local people. Or as Gonsalves puts it, they "treat high-speed internet access more like a utility that seeds transformative economic development, rather than a profit-maximizing business venture primarily concerned with lining shareholder pockets". ACP subsidies are necessary only because broadband is unaffordable for so many. Americans face some of the highest rates in the world, driven by an uncompetitive market where people frequently have one, maybe two, providers to chose from. Yes, Congress must urgently renew funding for ACP. But, beyond that, we must focus on the underlying affordability problem that has become the biggest barrier to internet access. Cities like Chattanooga, Fort Collins, Hillsboro, and the City of Pharr are showing that community-first solutions to this problem are available. 🔗 Read the article: https://lnkd.in/ea6q8zg7 #DigitalEquity #Broadband #InternetForAll #CommunityDevelopment #DigitalDivide H/t City of Pharr, TX | EPB | The Enterprise Center | Fort Collins Connexion | City of Hillsboro | Institute for Local Self-Reliance | Community Broadband Networks

Take a look at this article I found this week. It discusses the critical role of broadband expansion in the United States, particularly in the context of the recently allocated $42.5 billion in federal funding. In summary, federal funding presents a historic opportunity to bridge the digital gap and enhance connectivity nationwide. States’ strategic decisions in subgrantee selection and infrastructure development will shape the future of broadband access for millions of Americans. https://lnkd.in/gCK8Xrrb

During the recent National Association of Counties Annual Conference & Exposition, Cox Communications and Broadband Communities collaborated to address rural broadband expansion challenges with county officials. Key takeaways from the event include the vital role of broadband deployment in enhancing the economic vitality of counties. County officials expressed interest in partnering with organizations that prioritize affordability and digital literacy. Feedback from county officials resonated with a recent Cox survey, highlighting the positive impact of high-speed internet availability in previously unserved or underserved areas. Survey respondents noted that broadband access stimulates economic growth, reduces the education gap, and encourages younger generations to stay in their communities for enhanced learning and work opportunities. Moreover, 86% of consumers highlighted that access to broadband has significantly improved their lives. #BroadbandExpansion #DigitalEquity #RuralCommunities #EconomicDevelopment #HighSpeedInternet #DigitalLiteracy #RemoteLearning #CoxCommunications #BroadbandCommunities #NationalAssociationOfCounties #SurveyResults

This week, we released a report, “Digital Equity in the U.S. Northeast, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” mapping broadband cost, speed, and availability for those areas between 2020 and 2023. The report finds that the rural, lower income, and tribal communities in the areas studied are most affected by a lack of broadband access, with tribal lands and rural communities having the slowest download and upload speeds. Learn more and download here: https://nyfed.org/3Yg7jbP

In Case You Missed It: @LAist takes a deeper look into California's Broadband For All “middle-mile," a new open-access network that stretches 10,000 miles throughout the state. The project’s goal is to lower costs for individuals living in underserved communities, but these efforts may be derailed with major internet providers vying for government funding without committing to the state's network. READ MORE HERE: https://lnkd.in/g-RdzpHh