Upcoming event
TechCrunch Disrupt is three virtual days of non-stop online programming with two big focuses: founders and investors shaping the future of disruptive technology and ideas and startup experts providing insights to entrepreneurs. It's where hundreds of startups across a variety of categories tell their stories to 10,000+ influencers from all around the world. It's the ultimate Silicon Valley experience where the leaders of the startup world gather to ask questions, make connections and be inspired.
More than 300 million Americans have access to broadband connectivity, but as the pandemic has laid bare, not everyone has access. Many Presidents have committed to closing the digital divide and ensuring all Americans, no matter where they live or how financially challenged they are, have access to broadband where they work, live and play; however, the divide persists.
Emerging technologies will bring both disruptions and opportunities to many sectors of our economy and society. What issues must we address to ensure that the benefits of these innovations are shared by currently underserved communities? A conversation on these urgent questions:
Big tech companies have become essential to many of our daily activities--how we keep in touch with friends and family, how we find information, and how we get news about current events. At the same time, pundits say big tech is also too complex to break up -- and doing so would have far-reaching implications.
Discussion: States plans for leveraging federal infrastructure funding
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Kathryn de Wit moderator |
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Matt Schmit |
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Peter Voderberg |
We know the statistics—nearly half of the population is still not connected to the Internet. We’ve heard about the problems, from the homework gap to the lack of accessible health care to financial exclusion.
The rise of consumer digital preferences, sophisticated cyber-attacks and increased fintech competition is fueling an eruption of digital disruption in legacy banking systems not seen in decades. Traditional financial institutions will never go back to business as usual.
Access to the internet is a universal right.
Broadband should be free.
Tech companies should foot the bill.
Discuss.
GZERO Media and Microsoft will convene proponents, skeptics, and fence-sitters to debate whether the internet should be free on the next Global Stage event.
The following items will be on the tentative agenda for the September 15 Commission meeting: