Highways in the sky no. 3
May 2, 2021/ by Felipe
The Internet: Extension of Human Connection
The globalization of the internet and through it, the proliferation of connected devices has singularly redefined human connection and the human experience unlike any preceding general-purpose technology. From healthcare and agriculture to education and factories every industry has benefited, and these benefits will continue to compound generationally. In short, the internet is a wire; sometimes copper or fiber optic, it is buried in the ground or passed through pole lines and ultimately connects two computers together. Every computer accessing this connection is assigned an IP address, which are name tags used by routers to understand where to send digital information requests. Servers are powerful computers stored in datacenters, which host files associated with websites and their respective IP addresses. When a request is made or sent by a computer, data travels in the form of packets, which can be split between wires to get to the requesting IP address most efficiently. At its core, the internet is not a cloud drawing, but an extension of human connection as illustrated by Andrew Blum’s TED talk on the matter. TED (12 minutes)
Community Networks: Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
In Illinois, 1 in 5 school-aged children do not have broadband service at home and over 1.1mm Illinois households do not have access to a desktop or a laptop computer. The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society a nonprofit organization focused on deploying open, affordable, high-performance broadband connections to everyone in the U.S., has partnered with the Illinois Office of Broadband to create innovative new programs addressing these issues. Specifically, Benton Institute has provided research, community planning and capacity building, and digital equity. The collaboration has led to the creation of a program called Broadband Regional Engagement for Adoption and Digital Equity, through which stakeholders hope scalable solutions to broadband access will be identified across all 10 of Illinois’ economic development regions. Benton Research notes the key to reducing the digital divide is increased collaboration between the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Pew (6 minutes)
It Takes a Village: Bristol, New Hampshire
By all public measurable data, Bristol, NH is either underserved or unserved by broadband coverage. Having a population of approximately, 3,000, wireless operators were unable to proceed beyond feasibility studies as there was insufficient ROI for enhancing mobile reception. Seeing the inherent risk of losing a piston manufacturing plant and related jobs to a transitioning economy requiring constant retooling and connectivity, Bristol hopes to build a fiber network to spur the development of a tech corridor along route I-93 in Northern New Hampshire, creating employment and educational opportunities – 50% of students from Bristol’s high school forgo pursuing college degrees. The community’s efforts have required extensive public dialogue, funding and grant processes, and a partnership with a local utility co-op with rights over the poles in town. Additionally, Bristol is interviewing partners to operate its ISP and evaluating ownership structures. Ultimately the network will connect all stakeholders including the local Plymouth State University, the water and sewer department, highway department, library, police department and fire department, while following the path of its priority economic development areas. BroadbandCommunities (6 minutes)