Location Intelligence and the Future of Net Neutrality

[Commentary] The recent repeal of network neutrality regulations has concerned cities across the country about how the rollback will impact their communities.  Cities, with the guidance and leadership of their citizens, must begin to form oversight of Internet service providers themselves. And location intelligence is critical to this task.

With regards to halting and reversing the growth of the digital divide — and the impact of rescinding net neutrality — communities across the nation must understand the costs to underserved populations before permanent damage is done. In the near future, there will be a need to deploy citizen-driven government oversight with respect to helping the Federal Trade Commission do their job. Communities will need to find a way to more accurately track Internet access and usage on their own. And when it comes to big data, location intelligence technologies such as spatial analytics can connect disparate pieces of data to help local governments make better-informed decisions.

[Amen Ra Mashariki is head of urban analytics for Esri. Previously he served as chief analytics officer of New York City and CTO for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.]