Mapping, Impact & Adoption: A Research Agenda for Effective Rural Broadband Policy

The federal government lacks the economic, technical and social science research to make smart decisions on where and how to invest to close the digital divide in rural America.  The same can be said of the states, which are increasingly major players in funding both infrastructure and digital inclusion initiatives, and, I sincerely hope, will be partners with the federal government in crafting and executing broadband policy. In keeping with the rule of three, I’ve come up with three categories of research that will help both federal and state governments make smarter broadband investment decisions. I call them mapping, impact and adoption, or MIA. And yes, that acronym is somewhat purposeful. 

[Gigi B. Sohn is a Distinguished Fellow, Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy and Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate]