Jabari Simama

With federal broadband infrastructure spending now in play, public officials now must turn their attention to how best to bring high-speed Internet service to those trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide. Partnering with higher education can be a major part of the solution. Partnering with higher ed makes good sense. States and local governments do not have the time, personnel, or expertise to successfully implement such a far-reaching initiative.

As much as the pandemic is a challenge, the urgency it presents also provides an opportunity to finally make significant progress on these digital issues. To get started and provide a framework for future action, I recommend focusing on the following: