The digital divide has continued to grow as new broadband technologies, devices, and applications have evolved with unrelenting speed. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital disparity in…
From building infrastructure for fiber optic networks and utilizing TV White Space, to installing towers — libraries in the United States are doing everything they can to bridge the digital divide and bring service to all who need it.
In a new survey, “Broadband, Local Economies & the Age of COVID,” 200 experts in economic development discussed how communities may recover economically after the pandemic.
The survey, conducted by Craig Settles in collaboration with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), found that 21% of jurisdictions in 2020, compared to 2019 (15%) were planning to build a public network. About 60% of respondents said they planned to build networks in schools, libraries, or government buildings.
Many libraries around the United States are already beginning to create their own public networks.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) and the Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER) unveiled the Libraries Connect Communities and Broadband Resources Project. This project will provide libraries in Pennsylvania with the resources needed to enhance broadband service, allowing it to reach underserved and underprivileged communities beyond the library doors.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have heard countless stories of individuals and families who have used library devices or Wi-Fi from parking lots to complete homework, attend classes or job interviews, connect with loved ones, and more. Libraries are community hubs that provide critical resources and tools that support families, schools, municipalities, businesses, and organizations,” stated Glenn R. Miller, Deputy Secretary for the Office of Commonwealth Libraries.
Libraries can implement broadband to the public in a variety of ways. The San José State University (SJSU) School of Information, in cooperation with the Gigabit Libraries Network, has been exploring the use of TV White Space (TVWS) and it has been promising.
TVWS is the unutilized portion of the radio spectrum, also known as the “static” on traditional televisions. A TVWS base station antenna is installed onto the library building and then connected to the library’s broadband network. Remote client radios are then installed and connected to wifi routers in various places around the community, such as parks, clinics, public buildings, and community centers. The remote client radios are portable making internet access quick and convenient, especially in an emergency situation.
Libraries such as Southern Oklahoma Library Systems have received grant funding made possible through the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), which awards grants and loans to eligible rural communities. This allowed the library to create their own “mobile network service” to reach rural areas and underserved populations in the wake of the pandemic. This “digital bookmobile” not only offers network access, but also laptops, books, and mobile hotspots available for check out.
Libraries have always been providers of essential community resources. With the demand for a broadband service growing it is likely libraries across the United States will begin to find ways to offer this service to their communities. The early success of libraries implementing a public network, such as those in the Southern Oklahoma Library System, will help many libraries feel ready to take the next step in their own evolution.
