Net Inclusion 2019 welcomes digital inclusion community practitioners, advocates, academics, Internet service providers, and policymakers to discuss:
 
  • local, state and federal policies and policy innovations impacting digital equity,
  • sources of financial and programmatic support of digital inclusion programs,
  • and digital inclusion best practices from across the country.

Net Inclusion 2019 will begin Monday, April 1st with pre-conference events in the morning and Digital Inclusion Site Tours in the afternoon. the Site Tours are included in the cost of registration. Tuesday, April 2nd will be a full day of interactive sessions, and we will conclude on Wednesday, April 3rd at 3:00PM.

Early bird discount ends February 14!

Registration Costs

 

  Conference Conference Early Bird One-Day Pass One-Day Pass Early Bird

Nonprofit/Govt Registrations

$270

$215

$175 $145
For-profit Registrations $360

$325

$230

$215


Subscribers Receive a 15% Discount on Registration

 

Pre-Conference Tickets

Net Inclusion pre-conference workshops are an add-on option for attendees. 

With Conference Registration: $40

Stand-Alone (No Conference Registration): $75

Venues

Omni Charlotte Hotel

Conference Hotel

Bank of America Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28280, USA

Omni Charlotte Hotel Starts at $175/night.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond - Charlotte Branch

Pre-Conference Headquarters

530 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202, USA

Harris Conference Center

Conference Headquarters

3216 Cpcc Harris Campus Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208

http://www.harrisconferencecenter.com/

Google Fiber Charlotte

301 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28203

Tuesday Reception

Duckworth's Uptown Grill & Taphouse

330 North Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202

Monday Reception

Charlotte Mecklenburg Main Library

Pre-Conference Venues

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Charlotte Branch and Charlotte Mecklenburg Main Library

Conference Venue

Harris Conference Center

Bussing will be provided between the Omni Charlotte Hotel and the Harris Conference Center.

Download a PDF map of venues for reference on the go!

Accommodations

 The special reduced rate for Net Inclusion at the Omni Charlotte Hotel Starts at $175/night. Last day to receive the reduced rate is March 10. But the room block is likely to fill up before then so don’t wait!


Transportation from Airport

Transportation options between Omni Charlotte Hotel and the Charlotte Airport:
    • You can catch the Sprinter Shuttle at the airport for $2.20. This shuttle arrives every 20 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes during nights and weekends. This shuttle stops at the City Center which is two blocks from the Omni Charlotte Hotel. This shuttle is available for return trips to the airport from the City Center as well.
    • Lyft rides between the Airport to the Hotel is estimated at $12
    • Uber rides between the Airport to the Hotel is estimated at $15

Bus Schedule

Note: When picking up at Omni Hotel, buses will stage and load on Trade St

Site Visit Tours - Monday, April 1st

Bus One

Arrive at Omni Hotel at 1:15 PM
Depart from Omni at 1:35 PM

Stop One:

Brightwalk Neighborhood from 2 PM – 2:30 PM

Stop Two:

Dilleahy Courts from 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Stop Three:

Knight School of Communication from 3:30 PM – 4 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 4:15 PM

 

Bus Two

Arrive at Omni Hotel at 1:15 PM
Depart from Omni at 1:35 PM

Stop One:

Southside Homes from 2 PM – 2:30 PM

Stop Two:

West Charlotte High School 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Stop Three:

E2D Reimage Labs from 3:30 PM – 4 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 4:15 PM 

 

Bus Three

Arrive at Omni Hotel at 1:15 PM
Depart from Omni at 1:35 PM

Stop One:

Renaissance West STEAM Academy from 2 PM – 2:30 PM

Stop Two:

Goodwill Opportunity Campus from 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Stop Three:

Digi-bridge at Ashley Park from 3:30 PM – 4 PM
Drop off at Omni Hotel at 4:15 PM

Conference Transportation - Tuesday, April 2nd

Bus One

Morning:

Arrive at Omni Hotel at 7 AM for pickup
Depart from Omni at 7:15 AM

Drop off at Harris Conference Center at 7:30 AM

Return to Omni Hotel
Depart at 8 AM

Final drop off at Harris Conference Center at 8:15 AM

Evening:

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 4:15 PM for pickup
Depart from Harris at 4:30 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 4:45 PM
Return to Harris Conference Center

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 5 PM
Depart from Harris at 5:15 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 5:30

 

Bus Two

 

Morning:

Arrive at Omni Hotel at 7:15 AM
Depart from Omni at 7:30 AM

Drop off at Harris Conference Center at 7:45 AM

Return to Omni Hotel
Depart at 8:15 AM

Final drop off at Harris Conference Center at 8:30 AM

Evening:

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 4:15 PM for pick up
Depart
from Harris at 4:30 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 4:45 PM
Return to Harris Conference Center

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 5 PM
Depart from Harris at 5:15 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 5:30 PM

 

Conference Transportation - Wednesday, April 3rd

Bus One

Morning:

Arrive at Omni Hotel at 7 AM for pickup
Depart from Omni at 7:15 AM

Drop off at Harris Conference Center at 7:30 AM

Return to Omni Hotel
Depart at 8 AM

Final drop off at Harris Conference Center at 8:15 AM

Evening:

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 3 PM for pickup
Depart from Harris at 3:15 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 3:30 PM
Return to Harris Conference Center

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 3:45 PM
Depart from Harris at 4 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 4:15 pm

 

Bus Two

Morning:

Arrive at Omni Hotel at 7:15 AM
Depart from Omni at 7:30 AM

Drop off at Harris Conference Center at 7:45 AM

Return to Omni Hotel
Depart at 8:15 AM

Final drop off at Harris Conference Center at 8:30 AM

Evening:

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 3 PM for pick up
Depart
from Harris at 3:15 PM

Drop off at Omni Hotel at 3:30 PM
Return to Harris Conference Center

Arrive at Harris Conference Center at 3:45 PM
Depart from Harris at 4 PM

Drop off at CLT AIRPORT at 4:15 PM

 

Site Tours

Digital Inclusion Site Tours (included with registration) give conference participants the option to visit local digital inclusion programs across Charlotte. They will depart from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond – Charlotte Branch on Monday, April 1st. You must be registered to RSVP. Space is limited!

Tuesday, April 7th

University of Oregon (70 NW Couch St Portland OR 97209)

8:00-9:00 Registration and Breakfast
9:00-12:00 Workshops
12:00-1:30 Lunch
1:15-1:30 Bus pick up from UofO
1:30-4:30 Local Digital Inclusion Site Tours
5:00 Bus drop off at Zag
   
5:30-7:30 Reception

Wednesday, April 8th

Portland State University Smith Memorial Student Union

8:00-9:00 Registration and Breakfast
9:00-9:45 Welcome Plenary
9:45-10:15 Lightning Round 1
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-11:30 Break Out Sessions 1
11:30 Lunch
12:00-12:30 Lunch Plenary: NDIA Update and Presentation of Digital Equity Champions
12:30-1:00 Lightning Round 2
1:00-1:15 Break
1:15-2:15 Break out Sessions 2
2:15-2:30 Break
2:30-3:30 Break Out Sessions 3
3:30-3:45 Break
3:45-4:15 Lightning Round 3
   
6:00-8:00 Reception

Wednesday, April 3rd

Harris Conference Center

8:00-9:00 Registration and Breakfast
9:00-9:45 Welcome Plenary
9:45-10:15 Lightning Round 3
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-11:30 Break out Sessions 4
11:30 Lunch
12:00-12:45
Lunch Plenary: NDIA Update and Presentation of Digital Equity Champion
12:45-1:15 Lightning Round 4
1:15-1:30 Break
1:30-3:00
Closing Plenary – Digital Equity Act
Ben Merkel and Hart Clements, Office of Senator Patty Murray

Livestream

 

For the first time, Net Inclusion will be streaming live throughout the conference! Check back to this page to view the stream, and read more about details and livestream schedule.

Sponsored by

Produced By

Lightning Rounds

Since our first Net Inclusion in Kansas City in 2016, NDIA has featured Lightning Rounds in plenary sessions as a way to shine a spotlight on dozens of great digital inclusion initiatives and to encourage the peer-to-peer networking. Think of it as a beacon to find the people you’d love to have a hallway conversation with. 

Net Inclusion 2019 will feature four 30-minute Lightning Rounds, accommodating a total of 25 to 30 presentations. Each presenter will get a maximum of four minutes at the mic, accompanied by no more than 5 slides. The Lightning Round sessions will be strictly moderated. 

NDIA is no longer accepting proposals to participate in the Lightning Rounds.

Net Inclusion Lightning Rounds

Plenaries

Lunch Plenary (Tuesday) – How Broadband Adoption Affects Community Prosperity and Opportunity

 

 

 

New data on broadband adoption for metros, counties and cities over the past two decades reveals that broadband adoption is strongly linked to economic outcomes for community residents as well as businesses.  Tracing broadband adoption over time provides a better picture of cause and effect than has been possible in prior studies. This research shows that it is more inclusive communities that experience better economic outcomes; that digital inclusion leads to economic benefits at the community level.  Disparities in broadband adoption over time also track the widening inequalities that have become apparent across regions and communities in the U.S., and digital inclusion is a necessary part of policy solutions for narrowing place-based gaps in economic opportunity.

 

This research is part of a new book project with co-authors Caroline Tolbert and Kellen Gracey, analyzing two decades of data on broadband adoption for communities that was generated in a National Science Foundation project (the University of Iowa and Arizona State University broadband data portal).  

Karen Mossberger, Ph.D.

Karen Mossberger, Ph.D.

Frank and June Sackton Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University

Karen Mossberger, Ph.D. is the Frank and June Sackton Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University.  Her research interests in digital inequality began with her experience in workforce and economic development while working for the City of Detroit.  Her academic career has included research and teaching in local government, urban policy, digital government, and digital inclusion. Prior co-authored books on technology include Virtual Inequality:  Beyond the Digital Divide (Georgetown University Press, 2003), Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society and Participation (MIT Press, 2008), and Digital Cities:  The Internet and the Geography of Opportunity (Oxford University Press, 2012).  She evaluated Chicago’s Smart Communities program.

Closing Plenary – Digital Equity Act

What has the potential to significantly increase digital equity in the U.S.? Senator Patty Murray’s Digital Equity Act (not yet announced).
Via a fireside chat, NDIA’s Board Chair, Laura Breeden will discuss with Ben Merkel and Hart Clements the content of the Digital Equity Act, how states will be encouraged to create state digital equity plans, who will be eligible for the competitive implementation grants and more!
Hart Clements

Hart Clements

Legislative Aide, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)

Hart Clements serves as a Legislative Aide to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), working on technology, telecommunications, judiciary, agriculture, civil rights, and immigration policy. Prior to joining the senator’s office in January 2018, she worked as the State and Local Campaigns Coordinator at EMILY’s List and as an Organizer on the Hillary for America presidential campaign. She is a Philadelphia native and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Virginia.

Benjamin Merkel

Benjamin Merkel

Legislative Assistant, Office of US Senator Patty Murray

Ben has served as Senator Patty Murray’s lead policy staffer for telecommunications, space, technology, and homeland security issues since March of 2015. In this capacity, he advises the senator on policy matters arising within these fields; manages her priorities within the Commerce, Justice, and Science, and the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittees; and represents the senator’s interests before stakeholders in the public and private sector. In this role, he has drafted legislation relating to rural broadband deployment, disaster recovery, and has secured funding for regulatory modernization at the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

Ben originally joined Senator Murray’s office in 2013 as a Legislative Aide working on defense and veterans affairs issues. Previously, Ben was a junior staff member on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ben graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and Government with an emphasis in International Relations. Benjamin is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and currently resides in Washington, DC.

Merch

Support Net Inclusion 2019 with a personal donation and receive a shirt or hat to pick up at at the conference! Email [email protected]

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Code of Conduct

NDIA and the whole team behind Net Inclusion strive to support an open exchange of ideas within a safe and respectful environment. We value your attendance at Net Inclusion, meetings, and events, and are dedicated to providing a positive event experience for all participants and members. We want Net Inclusion to be welcoming, supportive, and comfortable for all members of the digital inclusion community. Treat staff, event attendees, and speakers with respect. Participation in discussions and activities should be respectful at all times. All are expected to exercise tolerance of the perspectives and opinions of all present and use discretion with photographs, recordings, and sharing. Be aware of your presence, and be thoughtful in sharing, listening, and knowing when to do which. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. If a participant engages in disruptive or harassing behavior, Net Inclusion staff may take any action it deems appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event. If you are being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a staff person immediately.