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Mozilla Doles Out $2 Million to Creative Broadband Projects

Mozilla says it's doling out $2 million in grant money to help fund efforts to shore up broadband connectivity to the nation's coverage gaps. In an announcement, Mozilla says the company is doling out between $10,000 and $60,000 to a list of twenty projects around the country focused on creatively bridging the broadband and digital divide. Mozilla says that winners of the funds were selected by a panel of judges from organizations like Nokia, Columbia University, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Each of the 20 projects are worth checking out, ranging from mesh networks, solar-powered Wi-Fi, to network infrastructure that fits inside a single backpack. All of the projects are affordable, scalable, open-source, and secure.

"As the value of being connected to the Internet steadily increases, Americans without affordable access to the net are increasingly excluded from a world of social, educational, and economic possibility," said Mozilla Fellow and WINS judge Steve Song. "The 20 projects short-listed are evidence of the potential that now exists for thoughtful, committed citizens to build affordable, scalable, secure communication infrastructure wherever it is needed."

From here, all winning teams -- as well as the 100 other WINS submissions--are invited to build working prototypes as part of the second stage of the competition. Mozilla notes that in August, these finalists will provide live demonstrations of their prototypes at an event in Mountain View, California. Final awards, ranging from $50,000 to $400,000, will be announced in the fall of 2018.

Mozilla has been putting its money where its mouth is on broadband for some time. The company was also one of the first out of the gate to sue the FCC for ignoring the public and gutting popular net neutrality protections. Mozilla has also issued polls to highlight how net neutrality has broad, bipartisan support among the public.

Again, each of the efforts are worth checking out in Mozilla's full breakdown of the 20 phase I winners.
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sd70mac
Premium Member
join:2015-10-18
Woodstock, IL

sd70mac

Premium Member

Exciting

This is great and exciting news, hopefully money from others will follow as well.