5:16 am on July 1, 2026 · 2026 (252), benton (6), digital equity (9)

WEBINAR 1 JUL 17:00 UTC – Benton – The Blueprint for Equitable Digital Participation

A promotional graphic for a Benton Institute for Broadband & Society event. A dark teal horizontal banner across the upper-middle contains large white text reading “The Blueprint for Equitable Digital Participation.” Below, centered on a light gray background, is the date “July 1, 2026” in bold black text. In the lower left corner is the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society logo in red, white, and black.

A promotional graphic for a Benton Institute for Broadband & Society event. A dark teal horizontal banner across the upper-middle contains large white text reading “The Blueprint for Equitable Digital Participation.” Below, centered on a light gray background, is the date “July 1, 2026” in bold black text. In the lower left corner is the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society logo in red, white, and black.
LIVESTREAM | REGISTERADD TO CALENDAR | PERMALINK

On Wednesday, 1 July 2026, at 13:00 EDT (17:00 UTC), the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society will host a webinar ‘The Blueprint for Equitable Digital Participation‘.

A new paper entitled ‘The Blueprint for Equitable Digital Participation‘ by Public Knowledge, UnidosUS, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)—the culmination of a multi-year research effort to ensure that the voices of community members are prominently elevated in critical broadband policy debates—centers the lived experiences of those directly impacted by digital inequities.

This webinar, featuring the authors of The Blueprint for Equitable Digital Participation and leading experts in the digital equity field, will offer ideas for how policymakers can ensure low- to middle-income households across America can gain and sustain access to high-speed, reliable internet, connected devices, and digital skills.

SPEAKERS
Dr. Alisa Valentin – Broadband Policy Director, Public Knowledge
Claudia Ruiz – Senior Civil Rights Policy Advisor, UnidosUS
Gina Cooper Benjamin – Deputy Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)
Dr. Colin Rhinesmith – Associate Professor / Director, Digital Equity Action Research (DEAR) Lab in the School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Dominique Harrison – Founding Principal, Equity Innovation Ventures
Dr. Bibi Reisdorf – Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

#DigitalEquity #DigitalInclusion #BroadbandPolicy #DigitalDivide

Mar 11 2026 – Broadband and Health: Collaboration, Funding, and Policy

ISOC LIVE
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP | ARCHIVE | PERMALINK

On March 11. 2026 the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society hosted a webinar ‘Broadband and Health: Collaboration, Funding, and Policy‘. As health care and digital inclusion organizations alike recognize that connectivity, devices, and digital skills shape our health, collaboration across sectors is essential. This webinar offered ideas for how organizations can collaborate, how health care funding sources can be marshaled to support patients’ and providers’ access and use of technology, as well as the policy considerations associated with expanding technology-enabled healthcare.

HOST
Caroline Stratton – Research Director, Benton Institute

SPEAKERS
Matt Christie – Medicaid Transformation Project, Washington State Health Care Authority
Jon Morrison Winters – Digital Equity Program and Broadband Manager, City of Seattle
Amy Sheon – Digital Health Equity Consultant, Rockville, Maryland
Jamila McLean – Director of Health Equity, State Health and Value Strategies, Princeton University.
Dr. Pablo Buitron de la Vega – Program Director, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (BUSM)

MODERATOR
Sara Raza – Visiting Lecturer, University of Washington School of Law

#healthgap #digitalhealth #broadband

12:34 am on March 5, 2026 · 2026 (252), benton (6), telecom (19)

WEBCAST MAR 5 – Telecom Act at 30: Universal Service as the North Star

ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVE

VIDEO | RECAP | ARCHIVE | PERMALINK

On March 5, 2026, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society  marked the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Telecommunications Act with an event ‘Telecom Act at 30: Universal Service as the North Star‘ in Washington DC. Policymakers, advocates, academics, and industry leaders convened to examine how the law, drafted at the dawn of dial-up internet, codified the national commitment to universal connectivity. Participants explored how the act has shaped today’s broadband landscape and what universal service must mean in the next era of connectivity.

01 Introduction


Senator Al Gore & Lily Tomlin (video)
Revati Prasad – Executive Director – Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP EN / ES / FR

02 Keynote Speaker – Ed Markey


Ed Markey – U.S. Senator, Massachusetts
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP EN / ES / FR

03 How a Bill Becomes a Law


Katie King – Former Special Counsel, Federal Communications Commission
Chip Pickering – Chief Executive Officer, INCOMPAS
Gina Keeney – Founder, Keeney Consulting
John Windhausen Jr. – President, Telepoly
Moderator: Andy Schwartzman – Benton Senior Counselor
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP EN / ES / FR

04 Best Laid Plans


Rachelle Chong – Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Larry Irving – President & Chief Executive Officer, Irving Group
Jim Kohlenberger – President, JK Strategies
Christopher Wright – Partner, Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP
Blair Levin – Policy Advisor, New Street Research
Moderator: Mignon Clyburn, Former FCC Commissioner
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP EN / ES / FR

05 Fireside Chat – Philip L. Verveer & Gigi Sohn


Philip L. Verveer – Former Deputy Assistant Secretary and Ambassador, U.S. Department of State
Gigi Sohn – Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP EN / ES / FR

06 Conclusion


Revati Prasad – Executive Director – Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP EN / ES / FR

#Benton #telecomact #universal service

WEBCAST SEP 26 – From the Ground Up: Broadband Mapping By and For Communities

YouTube

YouTubeOn Monday September 26 2022 at 3-4:15pm EDT (19:00-20:15 UTC) the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and the National Broadband Mapping Coalition host a panel ‘From the Ground Up: Broadband Mapping By and For Communities‘. United States communities and states are collecting data on local broadband availability as the Federal Communications Commission rolls out the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program. BDC data will be used to determine the allocation and distribution of funding to states under the $42.5 billion Broadband Access Equity and Deployment (BEAD) program. Panelists will discuss these community data collection and mapping efforts, highlighting promising approaches for collaboration and best practices for speed test surveys. We will also discuss how states and communities can be best prepared for the challenge process to ensure they have access to the federal funds they need to address broadband availability.

PANEL
Eduard Bartholme, Senior Outreach Director, Broadband Data Task Force, Federal Communications Commission
Shayna Englin, Director, California Community Foundation Digital Equity Initiative
Lonnie Hamilton III, Broadband Planner, Office of Broadband, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Sarah Morris, Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary, NTIA
Lai Yi Ohlsen, Data Scientist, Measurement Lab
Brian Whitacre, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University

MODERATOR
Dustin Loup, Program Manager,National Broadband Mapping Coalition

LIVESTREAM https://youtu.be/_9oSq09WeXo

REGISTER https://bit.ly/3BMF07N

REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/3CbC1al

TWITTER #broadbandmapping @FCC @MeasurementLab @okstate @calfund @VADHCD @MarconiSociety @DustinRLoup 

SIMULCAST
https://twitter.com/Benton_Inst

LINKS
VA Map – commonwealth-connection.com
Brian Whitacre & Christina Biedny- A preview of the broadband fabric: Opportunities and issues for researchers and policymakers 
Brian Whitacre – The Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric, Rural America and Agriculture
Brian Whitacre – New Broadband Maps are Coming. Will Agriculture Be Left Behind Again?
FCC Broadband Data Collection
FCC BDC Challenge overview

WEBCAST TODAY: Next Century Cities Member Call – How Local Leaders Can Influence State And Federal Policy

livestream

livestreamToday Wednesday May 27 2020, at 1pm EDT (17:00 UTC) Next Century Cities hosts a member call ‘How Local Leaders Can Influence State And Federal Policy’ . Speakers Kathryn de Wit, Broadband Research Initiative, Pew Charitable Trust, and Jon Sallet, Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, will discuss how NCC members can expand digital opportunities for their residents.

LIVESTREAM: https://livestream.com/internetsociety/localleaders

SIMULCASTS: Periscope | Twitch

PARTICIPATE: https://nextcenturycities.org/event/members-only-may-27-member-call/

TWITTER: #localleaders + @NextCentCit

2:55 pm on September 7, 2017 · benton (6), civictech (22), next century cities (16)

WEBCAST TODAY: Tech-Powered Civic Engagement Playbook Launch #civictech @NextCentCit

Next Century CitiesToday, Thursday 7 September 2017, at 3pm ET, Next Century Cities will host the launch of a new book, 5 Lessons for Tech-Powered Civic Engagement: The Charles Benton Next Generation Engagement Award Playbook. The event will highlight all three inaugural Benton Next Generation Engagement Award winning cities — Austin, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; Raleigh, North Carolina — who will discuss their winning civic engagement projects that tapped high-speed broadband and new technology and lessons from the Playbook.

View on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WdpV2ny24K0
Twitter: @NextCentCit + #civictech