Around 42 million American citizens are without quality broadband, most of them in rural areas. To bridge this gap and address the resulting economic divide, the public and private sectors must work together to deploy full-fibre networks offering high speed, low-latency, and reliability. 

Thanks to record levels of funding, the companies that build networks and provide services, such as operators, alt-nets and ISPs, have accelerated broadband buildouts. But they have yet to achieve universal access. 

What is needed for these stakeholders to bridge the digital divide and pave the way to full digital inclusion? How might they build better infrastructure? What could be done to make rural communications services affordable for all? 

The Financial Times, in partnership with STL, is pleased to present this panel briefing, now available on-demand, for leading telecom and technology executives, investors, technical experts, and policymakers in the US. Drawing on guests’ expertise across technology and marketing, we examined the case for telecom partnerships for universal connectivity programs to help deliver the best network experience along with fast and cost efficient rollouts.

Understand

The big picture, not just the individual strands of the business you work in

Connect

And build relationships with some of the biggest names in your industry

Discover

New approaches and strategies to help win market share

Premier Digital Events supported by the world's best journalism

Using leading digital technology, we have now taken our content, global audience reach and engagement to a new level through a series of unmissable virtual events. Our compelling events are chaired by respected FT journalists, feature the most senior and thought-provoking decision-makers in business, finance and politics, all accessible from your office or home.

© Financial Times Live

FT Live and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice