OVERCOME: Connectivity for Underserved Communities

Us Ignite, Inc., Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

At least 17 million U.S. residents lack the basic Internet access necessary for remote work, online learning, and telemedicine. While ensuring greater connectivity has always been important, the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have turned a desire to deliver broadband to everyone into a critical priority for the nation. The goal of the OVERCOME (cOnnectiVity for undERserved COMmunitiEs) project is to select, launch, and oversee five proof-of-concept efforts to deploy novel broadband technology solutions to both rural and urban underserved communities. These communities will be chosen to reflect a mix of density, demographics, income levels, regions of the United States, housing types, local and industry collaborations, and technical approaches. To explore further strategies for broadband expansion, US Ignite will publish a solicitation (including broadband network examples) calling for communities and their partners to participate in the OVERCOME project to connect the unconnected. Responding communities will propose their team members, identify underserved area(s) they will connect, and recommend specific technologies to be used for broadband delivery, while addressing social impacts. US Ignite will select five strong and diverse proposals, oversee broadband deployment efforts, provide national publicity for the effort, and charter leading faculty to measure the effects of the project – both technical and social – as it evolves. The results of the OVERCOME project will help guide efforts to create a more comprehensive response to connecting the unconnected by discovering patterns of success worth repeating on a larger scale and noting the distinctions that arise based on variations in the communities served. All data collected will be made available publicly in a timely way, and shared information will include failures as well as successes. It is hoped that the practical knowledge gained from these proofs-of-concept will enable new broadband deployment models and enable more Americans to join the online workforce, take advantage of Internet-based education, and access high-quality healthcare on demand. US Ignite will publish and maintain information on the OVERCOME project at the us-ignite.org website. The site will act as a repository for data collected throughout the project and serve as an ongoing public resource for broadband deployment strategies. It is expected that the information provided will prove valuable to industry technologists, researchers, federal policymakers, and state and local governments seeking to expand broadband access in their communities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.