Internet Frontiers: Navigating Data to Inform Public Discourse

Details

While global conversations often focus on the next generation of satellite constellations and ultra-high-speed fiber, millions of people across North America remain marooned on the wrong side of the digital divide. Achieving universal access is not just a technical challenge; it is a complex puzzle involving regulatory bottlenecks, economic disparities, and data gaps.

This unique event brings together three critical pillars of the Internet ecosystem: Internet Measurement Researchers who map the technical realities of the network, Policy Makers who design and fund connectivity initiatives, and Journalists who uncover the human impact of under-connectivity and hold institutions accountable.

Together, we will move past the marketing hype to analyze the empirical successes, systemic limitations, and real-world experiences of underserved Internet users in rural, tribal, and marginalized urban communities across the United States.

Why This Event Matters

True connectivity cannot be measured solely by "homes passed" or advertised speeds. By aligning data, policy, and storytelling, this event aims to answer critical questions:

• The Data Gap: How do we reconcile official coverage maps with on-the-ground performance data?
• The Policy Reality: Where are public funding initiatives succeeding, and where are regulatory frameworks failing underserved populations?
• The Human Element: How does persistent under-connectivity impact economic mobility, healthcare, and education in the 21st century?

Featured Tracks and Discussion Themes

• Mapping the Blind Spots: Translating complex Internet measurement data (latency, packet loss, and outage tracking) into actionable policy insights.
• The Last Mile in Focus: Critical evaluations of current infrastructure deployments (e.g., low-Earth orbit satellites, fixed wireless, and community networks) in rugged or isolated terrains.
• Reporting on the Divide: A roundtable for journalists on navigating opaque telecom data, investigating digital redlining, and elevating the voices of disconnected communities.
• Funding vs. Execution: Assessing the efficacy of historic federal broadband investments and identifying the systemic leaks where execution falls short.

Who Should Attend?

• Policy Makers and Advocates: Federal, state/provincial, and municipal regulators, tribal leaders, digital equity advocates, and public interest lawyers.
• Journalists and Storytellers: Investigative reporters, tech journalists, and regional correspondents covering infrastructure, economics, and rural affairs.