Recognizing the critical need for broadband to bridge the digital divide

Purdue economic development expert explains how technology is key to unlocking opportunity

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For urban and rural communities, the digital divide is more than just the lack of access to high-speed internet – it is a disconnect with economic and social ties and opportunities in a rapidly changing society.

Roberto Gallardo, vice president for engagement at Purdue University, has spent the past decade analyzing the economic development of local and regional communities, including the use of technology. He notes that the U.S. government’s plans to invest $42.5 billion in the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program will help narrow this gap by ensuring that a growing number of Americans can connect to fast internet, regardless of their location or socio-economic status.

“The federal program recognizes that in today’s interconnected world, high-speed Internet access is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” said Gallardo, who was named in October 2023 to lead the newly formed Purdue Broadband Team. “It is an essential part of workforce training and regional development, helping rural communities thrive.”

EXTRA INFORMATION

Gallardo, who is also director of the Purdue Center for Regional Development, has attracted the attention of top federal officials for his expertise in regional economic development. The Federal Reserve Board announced in January that Gallardo had been selected to join the Community Advisory Council for a three-year term. The Federal Reserve plays a critical role in managing the U.S. economy and financial system, with the goal of promoting stability, growth and prosperity.

“As a member of the CAC, I can provide perspective, advice and recommendations to the Fed on relevant policy issues and emerging issues, such as broadband and rural economic development,” said Gallardo, who serves in a similar capacity for the regional Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago.

In 2016, Gallardo developed the Digital Divide Index, a dataset that provides a reliable way to measure the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in digital access and use. Gallardo said the tool is intended to serve policymakers as a pragmatic tool.

The index scores include broadband availability/adoption as well as socio-economic characteristics.

Gallardo said the Digital Divide Index has been requested more than 150 times by government agencies, nonprofits and higher education institutions since 2020 to assist with both planning and research.

Gallardo said the digital barrier goes beyond the lack of infrastructure. It also means that communities, especially in rural areas, are disconnected from 21st century economic and social connections and opportunities.

“These restrictions can limit each community’s ability to overcome economic struggles. This disconnect is the basis for persistent poverty,” Gallardo said. “As a leading research university and land-grant institution, Purdue is well positioned to find more effective and equitable solutions for the ever-expanding digital society and economy.”

Investigate bandwidth

During Gallardo’s tenure at the helm, the Purdue Center for Regional Development has taken on multiple economic development projects for state and federal governments. Three ongoing projects have a combined value of more than $3 billion in potential maximum grant awards. It is the PCRD’s job to document the impact of these programs and tell stories from these government grant programs.

READI 1.0

One such program is the State of Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.

The PCRD and the Indiana University Public Policy Institute are collaborating on a four-year project to examine the economic and community impact of the first round of the $500 million READI grant program.

NSF engines

At the federal level, the PCRD was awarded a one-year contract by the National Science Foundation to establish the framework and process to evaluate the impact of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines competition. The NSF Engines grant program is intended to stimulate innovation-driven economic growth in select U.S. regions, with a special focus on underperforming or underserved regions. The ten recipients have the potential to receive up to $160 million over the next ten years.

Better build back

In addition to the NSF Engines project, the PCRD is part of a team evaluating the impact of the Biden administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, which aims to boost economic recovery from the pandemic and support American communities to rebuild, including those struggling from decades of disinvestment. The program is administered through the Economic Development Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The role of broadband in a world changed by pandemics

Gallardo said that after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, online activities – from e-learning to remote work – became crucial. Without adequate and reliable connectivity, Americans quickly learned the value and necessity of fast, reliable internet.

But even before the global health crisis, Gallardo says there was not only a digital divide, but also a lack of understanding of the value and necessity of broadband.

“There was a disconnect, a lack of awareness. But when COVID hit, everything changed. It has literally accelerated a decade of awareness work, at the very least,” Gallardo said.

The Purdue Broadband Team is part of Purdue President Mung Chiang’s “ABCD” plan to better serve the state through four initiatives: airport for the Greater Lafayette region, broadband for rural counties, a hard-tech corridor for central Indiana and Purdue@DC brings unique opportunities to the nation’s capital.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution that demonstrates excellence on a large scale. Ranked among the top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with unparalleled quality and scale. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue in a variety of modes and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition for thirteen years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in its relentless pursuit of the next big leap – including the first expanded urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business and Purdue Computes – at https://www.purdue. edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

Writer/media contact: Wes Mills, [email protected]

Source: Roberto Gallardo