Part II: Barriers to Broadband Access
Office of MinorityBroadband Initiatives
The pandemic fundamentally changed the way HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs understood how the lack of Internet connectivity on a campus, in a community, and at home, could obstruct educational outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the technological inequities of these anchor institutions, along with the negative educational impacts, caused by the lack of Internet connections.
Given their experiences, these institutions appreciate the urgent need to eliminate barriers to high-speed Internet access service and to implement innovative solutions. The following reviews how CMC grantees are innovating and implementing these solutions for their student bodies and their broader communities.
Barriers for CMC Communities
OMBI's mission, and its enabling CMC grant program, empower HBCUs, TCUs, MSIs, and their anchor communities to connect to the digital resources and markets of the global digital economy; however, several barriers to high-speed Internet access service hampers the mission's progress.
Battling the Barriers: Early Win Stories from CMC Communities
To connect their institutions to the digital economy, anchor institutions and their partner networks have led the charge in combating barriers to broadband access.