More than half the households in five neighborhoods in south St. Petersburg lacked connections to high-speed broadband internet as recently as 2019. That puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to education, employment and healthcare, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the City Health Dashboard.
“One of my dreams, and COVID proved it, is that internet is a utility like water, that everybody should have,” said Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District and co-lead of the Digital Inclusion Working Group. “How we get to that point and make it affordable is a challenge.”
There is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but the Digital Inclusion Working Group, co-led by Barlow and Veatrice Farrell, executive director of Deuces Live, have several ideas. One of them is a center to assist people in signing up for a new federal program that provides financial help to households struggling to afford internet service during the pandemic.
To learn more about this collaboration read the recent St. Pete Catalyst Article.
We are seeking entrepreneurs for an upcoming ocean enterprise accelerator. Hosted by our partner, Braid Theory, this 12-week program will focus on three aspects of commercialization: building capability, capacity and intellectual capital.
Lonestar Lunar's aspiration for the world’s first physical data center on the Moon has reached another milestone. Wednesday evening, they were part of the successful launch by Intuitive Machines. This is the second time this Hub tenant had made history. They were first to transmit data to and from space in February 2024.
There were several accomplishments in 2024 we haven't had a chance to share yet. Thank you to our anchor institutions and partners that made this possible. 1st major grant - $13.9M NOAA 1st District Master Plan 2nd District Impact Report published 3rd year of the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub