Presented by Matt Behrens • Chief Technology Officer for the State of Iowa
In the years since the National Telecommunications and Information Administration released its report FALLING THROUGH THE NET: A Survey of the “Have Nots” in Rural and Urban America, unequal access to information and communications technologies has been recognized as an important problem in the United States. Broadband policies have been the centerpiece of such efforts at both the state and federal level, but more work remains. The Federal Communication Commission reported that broadband has not been deployed to all Americans in a timely fashion, noting in 2018 that “24 million Americans still lack fixed terrestrial broadband” access at speeds of 25 mbps up/3 mbps down. According to the Pew Research Center, one quarter of all rural residents believe that access to high speed internet is still a “major problem.”
What are the factors influencing access to information and communication technology adoption in the United States? What can we do to help ensure everyone is able to participate in our information society? In recent years, researchers have come to define the Digital Divide in broader terms, examining not only basic access to physical internet connections, but also how and why people make decisions to use them. By understanding these emerging perspectives, a new generation of strategies can be developed to prepare our nation for the digital future.
Matt Behrens has held many different technology and leadership positions in government and higher education for the past twenty years. He currently serves as Deputy Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer for the State of Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer where he leads strategic technology initiatives including the implementation of Iowa’s broadband incentive programs. Matt has been a Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellow, an adjunct instructor at Drake University, and is a frequent speaker and panelist on topics ranging from technology trends to information security. He also serves on a number of boards and advisory groups including the Grandview University Business Advisory Board, the NTIA State Broadband Leaders Network, and the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation. Matt currently studies state-level broadband policy as a doctoral student at Iowa State University. He also holds an MBA with Distinction from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in Human Computer Interaction from Iowa State University.
