"U.S. Broadband Development: Serving Underserved Communities Through Public Policy and Private Partnership," A Special Breakfast Talk With Michael Byrne

Event Time

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

8:30 AM to 9:45 AM

Open to the Yale community and invited scholars.

Location

Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Common Room
77 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Speaker

Michael Byrne, First Geographic Information Officer for the Federal Communications Commission

Description

Special Breakfast Talk

Co-sponsored by the Data-Intensive Social Science Center (DISSC)

Biography

Michael Byrne is an expert in the design, development, implementation, and use of geographic information systems for public policy and research. Over his career, he has worked in health care, information technology/telecommunications, natural resources, and infrastructure planning. At the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Mike built critical infrastructure including the national broadband map, showcasing how skilled practitioners navigate rigid bureaucratic structures to get things done. In her book Recoding America, Jen Pahlka describes Byrne as “one of those people who make digital work in government -- incredibly well.” At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Byrne led the team rebuilding the system collecting data under the home Mortgage Disclosure Act -- an open source system that greatly reduced the reporting costs for industry. He has keen understanding of government business processes and how we can achieve more from our public sector.