Bridging the US Digital Divide Dashboard: An Interactive Gap Mapping Toolkit
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the latest source of funding to expand broadband across the US. As local, state, and federal government officials weigh how best to allocate $65 billion in resources, we call for a “people over miles” approach that will ensure more Americans have access to broadband at the speed necessary to learn, work, and access vital services. The current proposed strategy of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program prioritizes “unserved” over “underserved” areas, which runs the risk of exacerbating existing racial and socioeconomic divides—not living up to the proposed “equity” in its name. We include localized charts, maps, and a data dashboard tool to guide the implementation process and assist policymakers, investors, practitioners, citizens, and advocates in their efforts to close the digital divide in their communities. This video tutorial provides a walk-through on how to use the tool effectively.Find the research here: https://sites.tufts.edu/digitalplanet/broadband-infrastructure-funding-and-the-digital-divide-prioritizing-people-over-miles/
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