Issues pertaining to broadband adoption and deployment have become priorities in many communities around the country. This is often accompanied by questions from local officials and other stakeholders about the network environment close to home. How fast are the networks that serve a community? Where do those networks run? How many people have online access at home – and how many do not?
This workshop will provide an overview of data sources that can address these questions, as well as guidance on how attendees can use data tools to answer question specific to locations of interest. The workshop will cover:
- Data basics: Maybe the phrase “Form 477” sounds to you like a skit out of the TV show “The Office.” Or maybe it lures you into a fog of thinking about broadband deployment. Either way, this portion of the workshop will cover the nuances of Form 477, as well as data from the American Communities Survey and tools to measure network speeds.
- How to make data work for you: This portion of the workshop will be “hands on” in that it will demonstrate how to use broadband data to answer questions on what is going on in your community with respect to broadband adoption and deployment.
Expect to come away from this workshop with an understanding of what different data sources tell us, what they do not, and how to help them improve your community’s understanding of broadband policy issues.
