The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for high-speed internet access in Americans’ homes and elevated debate about the cost and affordability of connections and devices. Congress responded with emergency measures designed to keep households online.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are increasingly using software systems for surveillance, investigations, forensic evidence, and even determinations of whom to incarcerate and for how long. As technology becomes more sophisticated and more opaque, law enforcement reliance on these algorithms raises concerns around accuracy, transparency, accountability, and due process.
The Media, Inequality & Change (MIC) Center at the University of Pennsylvania occupies the intersection of technology, policy, and social justice. It is committed to studying the political economy of social problems, media, and democracy, while engaging local activist projects, and drawing connections with national and international social movements. The US continues to suffer under a decades-old digital divide that disproportionately harms marginalized communities, especially communities of color and poor households.
As Rappahannock County approaches a decision point on participating in an ambitious eight-county high-speed broadband plan, advocates might pause to salute two events that make the milestone project possible: the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 and the resulting passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021. The virus shone a spotlight on the digital divide that leaves many Americans without fast and reliable internet service.
Deputy Secretary Graves met with the Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro Pierluisi, in addition to a wide range of local leaders and stakeholders, to discuss how the federal government and Puerto Rico can work together to advance a shared economic development agenda in partnership with the people of Puerto Rico. Together, they met with public and private groups to discuss challenges and recommendations for economic growth on the island.
What do maps, partnerships, and a governor who champions opportunities regardless of zip code have in common? It’s a recipe to make Georgia one of the leading states to efficiently and effectively distribute transformational public funding to close the digital divide. Georgia is charting its way forward through a meticulous commitment to high-quality service data and by offering relentless assistance to providers, local communities, and state agencies to move together with a common goal in mind.
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