The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Broadband access and widespread adoption have a direct impact on education, income, health, participatory governance, and public service delivery. Even though millions of dollars in broadband investments are in the pipeline, many of the policies and marketplace conditions that perpetuate digital inequities remain in place.
This presentation will unpack research on why digital inequities continue to thrive in the most under-resourced communities, accelerating income inequalities that shape the way in which Americans work, live, and experience one another. Join TAPP Fellow Francella Ochillo for a conversation on what makes high-speed Internet access a powerful equalizing tool among the digital have and have nots. The presentation will also feature insights from Harvard Kennedy School's Professor Jason Furman, Tufts University's Fletcher School Dean Bhaskar Chakravorti, former Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, and other thought leaders who are working to expand high-speed connectivity.
Francella Ochillo is an attorney and nonprofit executive whose work underscores how widespread broadband adoption can improve educational outcomes, economic resilience, the ability to age in place, and pathways for participating in democracy. Advocating for the public interest on a variety of technology issues, she provides expertise on how government policies and industry practices affect societal infrastructure, particularly for underrepresented populations. Through her Technology and Public Purpose Fellowship at Harvard University, Francella develops research on how digital inequities reinforce income inequality and increase the separation of wealth. She has served on Federal Communications Commission working groups, provided Congressional testimony, and participated in local, state, and federal level proceedings aimed at closing the digital divide.