Internet Access
Digital information and communications technology has become one of life’s essentials. Smartphones and laptops are included in the agreed ‘minimum income standard’ for the UK. The Internet is seen as a driving force in accelerating progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, internet access has been crucial for maintaining ‘normal’ daily life, including work, relationships, business and access to public services
Related Publications
Roxanne Bamford, Georgina Hutchinson, Benedict Macon-Cooney (2021), Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
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Based on our analysis, we propose three key policy for universal internet access. First, a coordinated effort to stimulate demand for 4G or equivalent broadband technologies, to make more infrastructure investments viable. Second, regulatory and policy reforms to open up markets and drive down prices for consumers. Third, global coordination to diversify and expand investment vehicles for 4G or equivalent broadband
coverage.
Thomas M. Hanna, Mathew Lawrence, Adrienne Buller and Miriam Brett (2020), Common Wealth and The Democracy Collaborative
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This paper explores the future of digital infrastructure: the core assets and services upon which the 21st century economy and its vast array of information technologies rely. To accelerate and democratise digital infrastructure development, new approaches to ownership and control are vital.
APLE Collective (2020), Joseph Rowntree Foundation
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We ask the Government to find practical solutions to cross the digital divide and introduce free wifi for vulnerable low-income groups. We ask that this work includes and involves the voices of people with lived experience, in order that their response is both timely and effective in low-income communities.
Internet Technology Policy Community White Paper (2017), IEEE
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IEEE has a goal of universal Internet access for all global citizens. Although the general support and response for this goal tends to be strongly positive, many obstacles and challenges to providing this commodity for all global citizens still exist. In this report, a group of industry experts have collaborated to identify and propose solutions to these challenges.
Trebor Scholz (2016), Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung
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Platform cooperativism insists that we’ll only be able to address the myriad ills of platform capitalism—by changing ownership, establishing democratic governance, and reinvigorating solidarity
Mark Gregory (2015), Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy
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This paper presents a position and identifies future research necessary to support the transition from the universal service regime to a universal access regime that enshrines the principle of ensuring that federal, state and local egovernment and other specified digital services are reasonably accessible to all, on an equitable basis, wherever they work or live.