Jun 29, 2021 | Blog Entry, By Corian Zacher, By Lukas Pietrzak, Digital Divide, Digital Equity
Each June, communities around the world come together to recognize LGBTQ+ Pride Month. This month is dedicated to acknowledging the battle for equal rights for Queer communities and honors the legacy of activists of past and current generations. As Next Century Cities...
Jun 29, 2021 | Blog Entry, Broadband Mapping, By Lukas Pietrzak, Digital Divide, Low-income
The digital divide has been present since the nationwide rollout of consumer Internet plans in the 1990s, but certain communities entered the Internet age in a position that would disadvantage them for years to come. These communities have fallen victim to a...
May 25, 2021 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, Digital Divide, Local Policy
The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to some of the greatest geographic and economic diversity in the country. From the nation’s capital to the Chesapeake Bay and the Appalachian Plateau, Virginia can feel like a different state at all four corners. Despite this...
May 25, 2021 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, Digital Divide
To appreciate challenges associated with closing the digital divide, readers need only to turn their attention to Tennessee. Across the state, local leaders, advocates, and Internet service providers have been working for years to plan and implement broadband...
Apr 30, 2021 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, Local Policy, News, Spotlight City, State Policy
Taking its place as the southern boundary of New England, Connecticut is home to Yale University, beautiful towns, and the Connecticut River, the state’s namesake. Originally from the Mohegan-Pequot word “Quononoquett” meaning “long tidal river,” the Algonquian people...
Apr 30, 2021 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, News, Spotlight City
Nestled in the northeastern corner of the country, Maine is home to picturesque lighthouses and vibrant communities. Maine also faces a unique challenge to closing the digital divide and battling the COVID-19 pandemic: it is the least densely populated state in New...
Mar 30, 2021 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, News
Almost 7,000 miles from the nation’s capital is a community of five islands and two coral atolls with a rich Polynesian history. American Samoa, the United States’ southernmost territory, is spread across approximately 76 square land miles and is home to approximately...
Nov 18, 2020 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, News
By Lukas Pietrzak, Policy Associate During the first week of November 2020, Next Century Cities highlighted efforts across the United States to accurately map broadband availability data. State and municipal governments are working hard to correct inaccuracies...
Nov 6, 2020 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, News
In October 2020, the Siegel Family Endowment (“Siegel”) released a white-paper, Rebuilding America: The Road Ahead, highlighting how infrastructure can support a more resilient, equitable, and prosperous society. As stated in the paper, “broadband … and new...
Nov 1, 2020 | Blog Entry, Broadband Data, By Lukas Pietrzak, News
Learn more on NCC’s mapping homepage. Across the country, Montana is known for its sprawling wilderness and rich mineral deposits, capturing the nickname of the “Treasure State.” While Montana is rich in beauty, it lacks connectivity for its residents, where...
Sep 23, 2020 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, COVID-19, News
By Lukas Pietrzak, Policy Associate Over the last 244 years, our country has worked to form a more perfect union through the greatest right afforded to American citizens: the right to vote. For most of modern history, everyday Americans have shared in the...
Sep 9, 2020 | Blog Entry, By Lukas Pietrzak, News
In Illinois, communities are coming together with the assistance of Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society to close the digital divide. The Illinois Connected Communities grant program, announced in August of 2020, is supporting 28...
