The Future of Broadband Affordability
August 6 – 9:30 am to 10:15 am
Plaza Court 4/5
In anticipation of billions of dollars in broadband funding across the US, researchers at Next Century Cities collected statewide statistics from states and territories eligible for the BEAD Program as community-level data from five selected municipalities and counties where available. Communities selected include a range of population sizes, from 82 to 1.5 million residents and include a sample of communities investing in different types of broadband and digital inclusion initiatives to compare the local programs’ impact on local adoption rates. Along with ACS data, we compiled publications describing state programs and community initiatives. We plan to cross-reference this information with the data collected to better understand outliers in our findings. Additionally, we will offer suggestions for policymakers to improve the Internet and device adoption data collection process.
Speakers
Bo Ford
New Mexico State Library: Digital Equity Program Manager
Shannon B. Haynes
Breckenridge: Town Manager