If you’ve experienced broadband internet, then you know it’s hard going back to slower internet speeds. However, there are HBCU students around the country that haven’t been able to experience the high-speed internet.
Broadband deserts are areas around the country where there is a lack in broadband infrastructure. And with HBCUs typically having thousands of students on campus, this poses a major problem.
Without proper infrastructure, internet access is limited, connection is slow, and students aren't able to complete online tasks. And with many HBCUs located in rural areas of the South, it can be difficult and expensive to build the proper infrastructure. But Robert F. Smith isn’t letting HBCUs go offline.
As the wealthiest Black man in America, he’s making an effort to create better internet resources for HBCU students. One way Smith’s doing this is through the Student Freedom Initiative, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to improving digital infrastructure for students. But the battle to eliminate broadband deserts isn't done yet.
We can support HBCUs through financial and technological aid, such as donating to the Student Freedom Initiative. It’s time to get HBCUs out of broadband deserts and turn them into broadband metropolises.