The Digital Divide: When Politics Meets Internet Access

Send us Fan MailRecent funding cuts to digital equity programs threaten to deepen the digital divide in America, just as communities were preparing for infrastructure improvements that would bring connectivity to underserved areas. These decisions impact rural residents, small ISPs, and equipment manufacturers who were counting on these opportunities.• $2.5 billion in digital equity funding labeled "racist and illegal" and eliminated• Senate voted along party lines to kill FCC program distributing Wi-Fi hotspots to schoolchildren• Ted Cruz claimed hotspots would bypass parental controls, ignoring existing parental monitoring solutions• COVID-19 exposed the digital divide as students without home internet struggled with remote learning• Terra's free space optics technology promises 20Gbps connectivity over 20km distances• IoT developments expanding beyond LoRaWAN with Ultra-Wideband gaining traction• Fortinet quietly acquired Everest Networks to complete their Wi-Fi portfolio• Upcoming industry events include Network X, WBA event, hospitality industry tech conference, and Cisco LiveIf you have unused wireless equipment, consider donating it to community centers, churches, or nonprofit organizations where people can access Wi-Fi. Reach out to me if you need help connecting equipment to organizations in need. Support the showWanna make your content revolve around you? Telepost.ai Need Wi-Fi supplies? Wifistand.com