Visualizing the rural/urban digital divide

UNK research team gaining interest with Rural Measures

  • Photos courtesy of UNK // UNK professor Tim Obermier displays the devices used to collect bandwidth readings through the Rural Measures project, which was launched by Obermier and UNK associate professor Angela Hollman to more accurately measure internet speeds in rural Nebraska.
    Photos courtesy of UNK // UNK professor Tim Obermier displays the devices used to collect bandwidth readings through the Rural Measures project, which was launched by Obermier and UNK associate professor Angela Hollman to more accurately measure internet speeds in rural Nebraska.

    The demand for reliable, high-speed internet service hit a whole new plateau in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, echoing the research and strategic goals of two University of Nebraska-Kearney professors working to identify and bridge gaps in Nebraska’s rural/urban digital divide. Tim Obermier, a 29-year professor at UNK who lives south of Aurora, said he and fellow professor/research partner A…