In this episode, we speak with Merit Network's Vice President of Community Engagement, Charlotte Bewersdorff, and Pierrette Renee Widmeyer, Director of Marketing and Communications. Oxford's English dictionary defines digital divide as the gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the internet, and those who do not. The digital divide is, and has been, a stark reality for millions across our country. The FCC reported that 34 million Americans have no access to the internet and 21 million don't have high speed internet service, yet the truth is actually far worse. in 2019, Microsoft research found that 162 million Americans don't have internet, that's virtually half the US population. Under normal conditions consider the challenge of getting by in a high tech world without internet accessibility. Throw in a global pandemic with nonstop demand for distance learning, tele-health, and a highly remote workforce, and you quickly see the inequity facing one out of every two Americans. Thankfully, there are many individuals and organizations, hard at work, bridging the digital divide and closing the home-work gap. Among them, Merit Network. Founded in 1966, and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Merit Network is the nation's longest running research and education network. One of the most important and life changing initiatives they've undertaken is the Michigan Moonshot, a call to action to bridge the digital divide in the Wolverine state.
