By Francella Ochillo

Invisible lines between advocates and scholars often prevent academic research from informing broadband policymaking. Likewise, public interest advocates are eager to share research inquiries but lack academic partners. On June 20th and 21st, professors, nonprofits, government, and industry helped eliminate those barriers in a workshop called “Bridging the Divide: Answering Internet Policy Questions with Cutting-Edge Network Measurement Algorithms, Datasets, and Platforms.”

Considering our shared goals to understand what data and research policymakers need to make upcoming broadband funding opportunities more effective, Next Century Cities was honored to serve on the planning committee. Thanks to funding from the National Broadband Hub and National Science Foundation, we ensured that local officials could center community-based input throughout the conference.

Former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn provided keynote remarks. Zach Friend, Second District Supervisor, Santa Cruz County, and Miguel Sangalang, Executive Director and General Manager, Bureau of Street Lighting for the City of Los Angeles, shared compelling insights on bridging the gap between what broadband data is available versus what is required. Their comments forced participants to examine whether current infrastructure builds meet future broadband needs.

Check out the photos from Day One and Day Two of the conference. Organizers from the University of California Berkeley and Santa Barbara and M-Lab are preparing a report of key learnings. Participants can submit workshop feedback here through August 7, 2023.