Primary Investigators:

Sascha Meinrath, New America Foundation; Laura Forlano, Columbia University

Partnering Organization:

New America Foundation

Access to the Internet and the broader digital community is no longer a luxury. As society moves to the digital realm, those without access will be shut out of the economic, educational, social, and cultural opportunities that broadband access affords. In 2001, the U.S. ranked 4th in terms of broadband household penetration according to OECD; in 2006, it ranked 15th. The plummeting in the rankings is manifesting itself not just in terms of a worldwide broadband divide but also a persistent digital divide in the U.S. Minority, low-income, and rural populations continue to have limited or no access to broadband, further marginalizing communities that already lack the economic and educational opportunities afforded to their wealthier counterparts.
 
Although numerous strategies and tactics have been proposed and implemented to bridge the digital divide, there is remarkably little impartial documentation of the successes or failures of these efforts. The goal of the project is to fill this gap and create publications that will empower state and local leaders, local communities, NGOs and community organizers. This collaborative project will not only educate these groups about the issues, but also provide them with practical guidelines and best practices for addressing digital divide issues and increasing broadband access in their local communities -- all drawn from real-world examples with a history of successful deployment.

To achieve this goal, the research team plans to conduct an in-depth examination of successful international and domestic community wireless networks and highlight innovative projects that are helping to revitalize U.S. efforts to address the digital divide and promote ubiquitous and affordable broadband. NAF will utilize the information collected during the course of this research project to develop a comprehensive report that will serve as both a practitioner’s guide for planning and implementing a network, while also informing the decision-makers who guide policymaking at the local, state and federal levels.