Data for a Difference: How Alumna Sarah Ali Is Helping States Expand High-Speed Internet Access

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people relied on the internet to work remotely, connect with family and participate in online schooling. The crisis made clear that having high-speed internet at home is a necessity –– but for millions of Americans, it’s a luxury.

Sarah Ali (MSPPM’ 23) is working to expand access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet through her work at The Pew Charitable Trusts, a nonpartisan nonprofit that seeks to “use data to make a difference.” The organization publishes research on societal problems, campaigns for select issues and provides governments, nonprofits and businesses with data analysis and other assistance for policy decisions. 

Ali is a senior associate with Pew’s broadband access initiative, which aims for the U.S. to achieve universal access to high-speed internet, through broadband, by 2030. As of 2023, more than 40 million Americans lacked access to at-home broadband, and nearly a quarter with access did not adopt it, according to Pew. The issue disproportionately impacts low-income people, people of color, those who live in rural areas and the elderly. 

High-speed internet is “so critical to our day-to-day lives,” Ali said.

There are many reasons for the gaps. Internet service providers have historically lacked the financial incentive to expand broadband access to rural areas because they may serve only a few customers, according to Pew. In cities, many federally-subsidized public housing complexes have lacked high-speed internet or have offered limited or spotty access to residents. And even when at-home broadband is available, the cost of a subscription can be prohibitive, a recent survey from the Pew Research Center showed.

In her role at Pew, Ali has been assisting states as they participate in the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment [BEAD] Program. Funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the grant program intends to divide about $42 billion among all 50 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia for projects related to broadband infrastructure deployment and adoption. 

“The goal of this grant program is for 100% of locations in a state to be served, so it's a really broad and big goal,” Ali said. “Since it's a $42 billion program, there's a lot of oversight from the federal government and a lot of requirements that states need to follow.” 

Often, a state employee will ask Ali a question about the BEAD Program, and she’ll try to find answers by combing through state and federal statutes, legislation and other sources of information. Their questions vary, which Ali said “keeps my job interesting.” Some are more challenging to answer than others, but Ali can connect with Pew’s partners, such as the Brookings Institution, for help. 

Ali and her team at Pew have also been developing strategies for engaging the new presidential administration and researching how potential changes at the federal level could affect the BEAD Program. Last month, Ali wrote a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) –– the federal agency administering the program –– informing the acting leader about Pew and the organization’s work. 

“We’re trying to build relationships,” she said. “These are all normal things that research organizations do during changes in administration.”

Alongside her other responsibilities at Pew, Ali has conducted research for the organization’s public communications. For the past year, she’s been working on a policy brief about utility pole attachments, which she hopes will help states with their permitting processes. “It’s been very glamorous,” Ali said, laughing. She’s been working with Pew’s communications team to develop a plan for promoting the policy brief.

“It is a very exciting time to be working in the broadband space,” Ali said. “Now, there is a lot of focus in the White House, in both administrations, in how to expand broadband, particularly in rural America.”

At Heinz College, SARAH Ali gained professional experience in Washington, D.C. 

Ali pursued the Washington, D.C., pathway of Heinz College’s public policy program, meaning she spent the first year of the master’s program in Pittsburgh and the second in the country’s capital. Alongside their coursework, students in the pathway gain professional experience through required, year-long fellowships with government agencies, nonprofits or consulting groups. They work for at least 30 hours a week, taking classes in the evenings and on Fridays. 

Ali worked for the NTIA as a broadband program specialist, a role that directly supports her work at Pew. Other students in the Washington, D.C., pathway have received fellowships at AmeriCorps and the U.S. Peace Corps, among others. Like nearly all other alumni of the pathway, Ali secured full-time employment within three months of graduation. 

Ali said the writing-based courses she took at Heinz College provided a strong foundation for her current, writing-heavy role at Pew. Her courses in Washington, D.C., helped her acclimate to the city and learn how its policy ecosystem works. Her more analytical courses –– including “Statistical Reasoning with R” –– taught her how to digest large amounts of information, analyze data and present her findings in layman’s terms. 

“The best part about Heinz is that it really taught me how to think, and how to think critically,” Ali said. “I don't use coding languages in my job as much, but it's still great that I have that knowledge because it helps me look at everything through that data analysis lens.”

Careers in the policy field are valuable, Ali said. She advises current students to take advantage of the policy courses Heinz College offers, as she said they provide students with an essential understanding of the legislative process and landscape. 

“We need more people in the policy field. We need more diverse voices in the policy field. And the first step is being curious,” Ali said.