Weekly Wrap-Up, January 23, 2015

University of Cambridge Senior Research Associate Arjuna Sathiaseeian evaluates the merits and deficiencies of Facebook"s Internet.org initiative. This week, Democrats revealed the Community Broadband Act, a new piece of legislation intended to remove barriers that are currently stopping communities from providing their own Internet solutions reports Jon Brodkin in Ars Technica.

Is broadband the electricity of the 21st century? U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker authored a blog post explaining the impact of investing in broadband and why we need to do more.

Writing for the Austin Chronicle, Mary Tuma explains the digital landscape of Austin, TX and the work Google Fiber and Austin-based nonprofits are doing to close the city’s digital divide.

While we’re trying to figure out how to build out infrastructure on the ground, billionaires across the country are clamoring over who can be the first to provide Internet from space. Writing for CNN Money, Jose Pagliery provides a basic overview of the players in this new space race.

And finally, what is it like being one of the 75 million Americans without Internet access? Bradley Blackburn and Joanna Suarez produced a video for Fusion showing how difficult it is to get homework done, search for jobs, &c. when you’re forced to rely on libraries for your Internet access.