Online Workshop: Internet Frontiers, Navigating Data to Inform Public Discourse
Internet Frontiers is a collaborative workshop designed to break down the traditional silos preventing true digital equity in the United States and Canada
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.
During this online workshop, the workshop, stakeholders from across the US and Canada will come together to discuss their Internet measurement data needs, what research may already be available, and opportunities to gather more data to help connect the unconnected.
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.
This virtual workshop is a digital companion to an in-person workshop being held earlier on September 22 in Washington DC.
Agenda
Note: All session times are in UTC.
19:00 - 19:15 Welcome
19:15 - 20:15 Panel: Access Stories in North America
Participants will hear from people across the US and Canada who are working to close the digital divide, whether in their local communities or continent-wide. Panelists will share stories of connecting the unconnected with a focus on how data shapes their work.
| Speaker(s) | Organisation | Title | Documents | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharayah Lane (Moderator) | Internet Society | Senior Advisor for Indigenous Community Connectivity | - | - |
20:15 - 20:45 Breakout Session: Defining your data needs
A co-design group session to map out what data and visualizations different stakeholders use and need to help close the digital divide. Questions include:
- Where is data most helpful in your work, and what questions do you need to use data to answer?
- What data do you need most to help achieve your goals, but do not have access to it?
- How is data most helpfully presented to you and your key audiences?
- Who should have access to the data?
21:00 - 22:30 Research Presentations
Participants will hear from researchers on what the data tells us on a range of topics relating to closing the digital divide in the United States and Canada.