When our group began working together, we each had differing takes as to where this assignment should begin. Although, as we discussed our findings in class more frequently, we found that we were actually trying to address the same question albeit in different ways. “Can Our Digital Infrastructure Be Expanded in an Equitable, Secure, and Sustainable Way?” There are quite a few directly connected subtopics that lead us to this unified question and before we go into greater detail about those findings, we thought it would be a good idea to expand on the definition of “Digital Infrastructure” to better address our findings and new direction. The term “Digital Infrastructure” should encompass the physical servers, devices, electrical lines, and other broadband/cellular connections that make up our online and mobile networks; As well as the individuals and resources needed for building and maintaining these structures.


Now it may come as a surprise that students attending a school of technology are concerned with the aging infrastructure around the country as opposed to creating apps or something. But staying in lockdown during the pandemic highlighted the urgency of some of these issues and that has shown through some of the topics we chose to research. In some parts of the country, our infrastructure relies on devices that are several decades old. We also know that many of our fellow classmates and students around the country had issues with wireless access, heating, and other basic needs. We want to ensure that the next steps forward do not exclude those with lesser means or put our planet in further danger from climate change. () The ideas that would go into creating a truly equitable, sustainable, and secure digital infrastructure for the United States, will need to reach into so many different fields and topics to accomplish anything. From electrical engineering to politics, we could find various groups and individuals working to build solutions to these problems. Some believe stronger education is the answer, while others think stricter laws are the way to go. In this paper, our group has compiled research to present a unified strategy on how best to expand our digital infrastructure for a better and brighter future.