Washington, D.C. – Today, WifiForward, a coalition of companies, organizations and public sector institutions, awarded 16 awards to organizations connecting their communities with Wi-Fi in innovative ways during the pandemic.
In the past year, COVID-19 completely transformed our way of life, from how we work to how we go to school and everything in between. And Wi-Fi has emerged as an essential service for all Americans, allowing millions of Americans to remain connected amidst a once-in-a-generation pandemic. WifiForward’s inaugural Wi-Fi At Work Awards recognize organizations that have kept communities connected via Wi-Fi during this time. Read More “WifiForward Announces 16 Wi-Fi At Work Award Winners”
Wi-Fi solidified its status as a necessity during the pandemic, particularly when it came to online learning and keeping a job when almost everyone was working from home. But while Wi-Fi usage increased by 80% during the pandemic, 47% of the world’s population doesn’t actually have internet access. And the divide between developed and developing nations is stark. Data from 2019 showed that in the developed world, 87% are connected, contrasting the 47% in developing countries and just 19% in the least developed countries.
Read More “Wi-Fi’s Positive Socioeconomic Impact Around the World”
The weather is still balmy and hot, but Fall is quickly approaching and students are going back to school, in-person. For some kids, this may be the first time in a classroom since March 2020. But even as students go back to an in-person classroom, schools have realized just how important Wi-Fi is for learning.
Read More “It’s Fall, Y’all: School Is Back With More Connectivity Than Ever”
Connectivity is a crucial part of our lives, no longer something that makes life easier. Wi-Fi and cellular service have made huge technological advancements to allow for wireless connectivity, but the two technologies have often been pitted against each other. Monica Paolini recently released a report showing that it’s not a question of which is better, but rather how can Wi-Fi and cellular “jointly meet the needs of those already connected and of those who still need to be connected in a way that neither technology on its own could.”
Read More “LTE and Wi-Fi Are Better Together. And That’s Better for Everyone”
It’s summer and the hot topic this season, in DC and around the country, is infrastructure. But what may be overlooked in this conversation is that spectrum — the invisible airwaves that wirelessly connect our phones, laptops and other devices — is also infrastructure and it is a critical part of the digital equation.
Read More “It’s Infrastructure Summer. Don’t Forget, Spectrum is Infrastructure, Too.”
On July 19th, Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) hosted a symposium with four former FCC chairs where they discussed the current state of the connectivity in the US and their hopes for the future on 5G, FCC policies, broadband deployment, digital divide and infrastructure.
Read More “Former FCC chairs unite to discuss the future of unlicensed, 5G, broadband deployment and more”
In the last year, a lot of major events had to be postponed or even canceled, including one of the world’s most-watched and anticipated live sporting competitions: the Olympics. Fast forward to one year later, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are still facing impacts from Covid-19 and are happening with no fans in attendance. This means that more people than ever will be streaming Olympic fanfare online.
Read More “Going For Gold: 4K Live Streaming is Gold Standard for Olympics”
Summer: The season for travel, beaches, concerts, national holidays, rocket pops, amusement parks, pool days and an immeasurable amount of fun.
Read More “An Unlicensed Spectrum Summer”
Last Monday, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington participated in a WifiForward event, interviewed by Deborah Collier, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at Citizens Against Government Waste. During the event, the Commissioner highlighted the importance of Wi-Fi as an American-led industry and the 6 GHz band and its role in global spectrum harmonization.
Read More “Commissioner Simington on why “Wi-Fi is an American success story””
On June 28, 2021, WifiForward hosted a fireside chat with Commissioner Simington and Deborah Collier, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at Citizens Against Government Waste, as a part of our ongoing Wi-Fi at Work series. During the event, the Commissioner spoke on his support for spectrum policies that account for our growing Wi-Fi needs — and that includes support for the 5.9 GHz order.
Read More “Commissioner Simington would like to see the November 5.9 GHz order “remain in place and come to fruition””
