benton's blog

Remarks of

Blair Levin

Brookings Metropolitan Project

at the

Next Century Cities Conference

Pittsburgh, PA

July 25, 2018

I want to talk about the secret to smart policies about smart cities. 

You’re reading the Benton Foundation’s Weekly Round-up, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) telecommunications stories of the week. The round-up is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

Round-Up for the Week of July 16-20, 2018

In 2016, Libraries Without Borders established the Wash and Learn Initiative (WALI) to expand the access and accessibility of information to families waiting for their clothes to wash and dry in laundromats. This article discusses the private-public partnerships between small, mom-and-pop laundromat businesses and library branches that have made this work possible.

Prepared Remarks of Blair Levin

Brookings Institute Metropolitan Policy Project

Gigabit Summit

Kansas City, Missouri

June 26, 2018

It is pleasure to be with you today.

I open many speeches that way but here I really mean it.

The reason?

This summit symbolizes the enormous vision, and a great achievement, of cities.

The following is an excerpt of an article with the same title

 You’re reading the Benton Foundation’s Weekly Round-up, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) telecommunications stories of the week. The round-up is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

Round-Up for the Week of June 18-22, 2018

Availability ≠ Accessibility

Increasing the availability of information does not necessarily increase its accessibility. What’s the difference?

Margaret is a mother with two kids in elementary school. She purchases Internet for her family at home, but does not know how to use the school’s web portal to help her children find their homework assignments. In this case, the school’s web portal is technically available, but is it accessible? How do Margaret and her family learn the digital skills required to use the school’s web portal?