Bridging the Digital Divide  How to Promote Broadband Adoption During the Pandemic and Beyond
Channel: R Street Institute
Date: 2020-08-07

With many Americans staying at home, the pandemic has highlighted the critical role that high-speed broadband plays in our lives. However, it has also shown a light on the growing disparity between those that have access and those that do not. And unfortunately, this growing disparity takes away many opportunities for those without access to broadband in terms of education, work and even the ability to communicate with the outside world. Therefore, it is critical for federal lawmakers and regulators to take steps to bridge the gap, address the inequality the divide causes and create economic resiliency in underserved areas. However, with limited funds, we must ensure that we invest resources in a manner that will have the greatest impact.

This panel will explore how the digital divide affects Americans during the pandemic and beyond, examine what actually causes this divide, and discuss important considerations for federal lawmakers to ensure that resources will have the greatest impact moving forward.

Panelists

Dr. Hal Singer, Managing Director at Econ One Research, adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, & senior fellow at George Washington Institute of Public Policy

Dr. George Ford, Chief Economist, Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy Studies

Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies and Director, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings

Carlos Gutierrez, Deputy Director & General Counsel for the LGBT Technology Partnership

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