On paper, it’s cheaper to connect densely-clustered residences. But, as many as 4.3 million households inside apartment, condo, and mobile-home complexes do not have Internet access – either because the service is unaffordable or because the building has antiquated wiring.
Given the importance of Internet access for meaningful participation in a digital economy – and because universal access to high-speed Internet has cascading community benefits that not only save subscribers and municipalities money, but also improve health outcomes – more cities and towns are looking to ensure high-performance Internet access is available in what industry insiders call “multi-dwelling units” (MDUs).
Next week, the increasingly popular webinar series hosted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) Community Broadband Networks initiative and the American Association of Public Broadband (AAPB) will dive into the challenge head-on with a focus on how local communities can better serve the places where the largest numbers of disconnected Americans are clustered.
The free webinar – “High-Density, High Impact: Connecting Apartment Buildings, Public Housing and Multi-Dwelling Units” – is slated for March 19 from noon to 1 pm ET.
Registration is now open here.
“Most of the federal government’s funding focus for building new networks is targeted at sparsely populated rural areas. But the fact is: apartment buildings – especially those living in public housing in urban and suburban settings – represent large concentrations of unconnected or underconnected households,” AAPB Executive Director Gigi Sohn said.
“With a more targeted approach on MDU’s, local communities can make significant strides in closing the digital divide.”
As with previous ILSR and AAPB live-streamed webinars, this one brings on-the-ground experts working to connect and serve often financially-constrained households living in multi-dwelling units.
Co-hosted by AAPB’s Gigi Sohn and ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks’ Associate Director for Communications Sean Gonsalves, they will be joined by Cleveland-based DigitalC CEO Joshua Edmonds; REVinternet founder and CEO Brendan Kelly; and Anna Read, a Principal with the national consulting firm HR&A who previously worked on broadband funding at the U.S. Treasury Department and also with several states in establishing programs to help connect public housing residents.
The discussion will dive into why connecting MDUs matter for every community; the business and technical realities that present challenges; and what federal and state governments are doing about it. The webinar will conclude with a discussion about what’s actually working.
The webinar promises to be of particular interest to state and local officials, community broadband providers, and digital equity advocates nationwide.
Registration for the free webinar is available here.
Watch our previous webinar – Navigating the Legal Landscape of Community Broadband – below:
Header image of fixed wireless antennas on rooftop in Detroit courtesy of DigitalC Facebook page
Inline image of Internet installation inside apartment at the Glen Haven senior living community in Cleveland courtesy of DigitalC Facebook page
