Conference: ReDDDoT Phase 1: Workshop: Situating Network Infrastructure with People, Practices, and Beyond

This project brings together researchers, practitioners, and regulators around the intersection of human-computer interaction (HCI), networking, and network policy to address the shortcomings of current Internet technologies. The Internet was originally designed for a small set of uses in university research labs, but today it serves billions of people worldwide.

This rapid expansion has left some communities, particularly rural and marginalized groups, underserved and sometimes harmed by current network technologies and policies.To address these issues, this project will conduct a workshop in Winter 2025 at Virginia Tech's DC campus. This workshop will bring together experts in HCI, networking, and policy to discuss and explore the overlap between these fields.

The goal is to identify opportunities and challenges and to develop a research agenda that considers the human elements of emerging telecommunications technologies.

The workshop will center on four major agendas: (1) Applying HCI Methods to Network Design; (2) Bringing Networking Questions to HCI; (3) Improving Network Access in Disadvantaged Communities; and (4) Measuring Human Elements in Networks. These agendas will help bridge the gap between technical network development and the social needs of diverse user communities.

The workshop will result in the formation of working groups to share findings through research publications, the identification of interdisciplinary research opportunities and policy recommendations, and a final report outlining the workshop's findings and proposed future directions. Ultimately, by fostering collaboration between HCI and networking experts, this project seeks to create more inclusive and effective network technologies.

The Internet and related technologies are now vital to education, economic opportunity, governance, and more. Ensuring that these technologies serve all communities fairly is critical. This project aims to lay the groundwork for future research and policy changes that address these important issues.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.