In the Media: Interview with Internet2’s Rob Vietzke Published in EdTech

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The pandemic has exposed a broadband digital divide, particularly for rural students. EdTech: Focus on Higher Education recently interviewed Internet2 VP of Network Services, Rob Vietzke, to learn about strategies that higher education leaders should consider to help close the digital divide.

“Higher education brings mass to the table. They can think of themselves as a market-maker in these rural communities,” Vietzke says. “If a provider knows that the university has a five-year or 10-year commitment, they might be more inclined to build in places where they otherwise would not.”

• Read Vietzke’s interview in EdTech: Focus on Higher Education.
• Did you know? The Internet2 Community Anchor Program recently received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to fund expanded outreach to tribal, rural, and urban libraries and help improve their broadband services.

ICYMI: Regional Network Spotlight

• Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research: Closing the Digital Divide in Rural Pennsylvania
• Kentucky Community & Technical College System COVID Response: Mobile WiFi Project
• Kansas State Research and Education Network: Empowering Local Community Through Connection and Collaboration
• MCNC: Fueling Innovative and Accessible Healthcare During COVID-19
• The Alabama Supercomputer Authority: Connecting Libraries and Communities in Alabama