Benton creates the Digital Divide Network (DDN), providing the most comprehensive map of resources and strategies for bridging the digital divide with programming help from the National Urban League. DDN featured news, research, and data about the problems of unequal access to technology, and provides one-stop resources and information for communities seeking local solutions.
With funding from the Joyce Foundation, Benton and the Education Development Center's Center for Children & Technology (EDC’s CCT) write The E-Rate in America: A Tale of Four Cities, the first in-depth analysis of the federal E-Rate program, analyzing the impact in four Midwest school systems of the federal government’s commitment to connect every classroom.
George W. Bush elected 43rd President of the United States.