Ben, Ryan, and Cassidy talk with Esther Jang, Matt Johnson, and Chris Webb of Seattle’s Local Connectivity Lab, a nonprofit that works in concert with the University of Washington to facilitate community-focused technology development and research. They discuss how they’re working to build community-run LTE networks that expand connectivity, how making network technology visible helps people understand it, and why expanding digital access requires understanding social infrastructure.
Episode notes:
Esther and Matt are graduate students in computer science at the University of Washington, where they study community networks.
Esther explains how open-source, community-owned and -operated LTE networks are a good solution for expanding public internet access and ensuring digital equity.
Matt walks the team through Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), a shared wireless spectrum that allows users to build their own LTE networks.
Chris Webb of the Black Brilliance Research Project lays out how a digital stewardship program in Detroit helped inspire his work.