Connect Humanity

The future of America’s broadband is at a crossroads. Commerce Secretary Lutnick recently stated that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is in “dire need of a readjustment.” With his call for a “tech-neutral” approach, all signs point to a shift away from fiber and towards satellite.

The Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition unveiled the RGV Broadband and Digital Opportunity Plan, a bold initiative to ensure every home, business, and community anchor institution in the region has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet. Much of the RGV still lacks reliable internet access, holding the region back in a world that increasingly depends on digital tools. The RGV Broadband and Digital Opportunity Plan is a roadmap to change that, focusing on:

Rural communities across America have been working flat out to expand fast, reliable internet access, but to succeed, they urgently need clarity about the resources available to move forward.

In recent weeks:

Right now, fiber-to-the-home providers have a unique opportunity to become market leaders in small cities, large towns, and high population density rural areas where cable modem currently is the only option. We call these areas “fiberhoods” because they are neighborhoods large enough to support a privately funded fiber deployment but small enough that the incumbent cable provider is not motivated to upgrade on their own. The first company to deploy fiber to such a market typically captures the majority of customers in short order. The ideal fiberhood has:

Digital equity is about ensuring everyone has the tools and skills needed to fully participate in today’s society. Too often, this work is viewed as the responsibility of nonprofits, libraries, and community groups. But internet service providers (ISPs) also have a crucial role to play—not just as a ‘nice-to-do’ but as a smart business strategy. Investing in adoption isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a strategy for long-term business growth. Here’s why:

As communities across the Southeast US continue recovery efforts following the devastating hurricanes of late summer, one refrain stands out: connectivity is critical in disaster scenarios, and when the internet goes down, communities are cut off. Unfortunately, with climate-related risks increasing, many more communities are likely to face chall

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) broadband benefits are set to halt at the end of May, leaving millions of families with a difficult choice to make. For the sake of 60 million Americans who depend on ACP, the program must be renewed.

Connect Humanity, a non-profit impact investor, is collaborating with Microsoft to support high-speed internet access and adoption in underserved Appalachian communities. Connect Humanity’s IDEA Fund (Investing in Digital Equity Appalachia) plans to invest in community-focused internet service providers which are best placed to meet the digital needs of residents and businesses in Appalachia’s unserved areas. Connect Humanity aims to convene a diverse group of capital partners including Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), banks, impact investors, and foundations to meet th

Connect Humanity, a non-profit impact investor, announced it is collaborating with Microsoft to support high-speed internet access and adoption in underserved Appalachian communities. Appalachia is one of the least digitally connected regions of the United States, with households 31 percent more likely than the national population to lack a broadband subscription. In some Appalachian counties, fewer than 20 percent of households use the internet at broadband speeds in a time when connectivity is critically important for education, health, and remote work.