*Update (1/23/2017): This event has been postponed to February 8, 2017. Susan Crawford will not be available on this date for a keynote.
Broadband has become an assumed service, and yet in some parts of the state – and even the city – high-speed internet access is limited, unavailable, or unaffordable. Broadband access is necessary to help our students learn, to build small businesses and to enable residents to engage as citizens.
As we type, click, and swipe, it is easy to forget about the underlying infrastructure that supports our online activities. This critical infrastructure is complex and in order to provide equitable access to broadband, physical considerations like fiber infrastructure and broadband readiness of buildings are critical to how we expand access.
In addition, we need to buy service from someone. Should cities pursue Muni Networks like Chattanooga, TN and Westminster, MD or should cities pursue strategies that promote competition and choice. Whether it is provided by a company or a local government, the service that we buy needs to be fast, affordable, and reliable.
Please join us on Wednesday, November 16, for a discussion on Broadband Equity. Panelists will include:
- Keynote: Susan Crawford, Berkman Center*
- Anne Schwieger, City of Boston
- Damon Cox, The Boston Foundation
- Sharon Gillett, Microsoft
- Chris Mitchell, Institute for Local Self Reliance
- Theo Hanna, Tech Goes Home
- Moderator: Cathy Wissink, Microsoft
Schedule:
- 5:30 – 6 PM – Registration and networking
- 6:00 – 7:00 – Panel Discussion
- 7:00 – 7:30 – Q&A
- 7:30 – 8:30 – Post event networking
Register now at this link.
The Conversations on Civic Innovation is a regular series, co-convened by the Venture Café Foundation and the Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center New England.