Professor of Telecommunications
Penn State University
State College, Pennsylvania, United States
Dr. Christopher Ali is the Pioneers Chair in Telecommunications and Professor in the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University. He holds a Ph.D. in communication studies from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania (2013). His research focuses on the critical analysis of telecommunications policy with an emphasis on broadband and digital equity. He is the author of the 2021 book Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity. Presently, he has just completed the manuscript for his new book Where the wires end: Stories from the digital divide, which seeks to amplify the stories and experiences of people, communities, and organizations across the country for meaning policy change.
Based on his expertise, Dr. Ali was called to testify before the US Senate Commerce Committee in 2021 on broadband funding and policy programs. He has also briefed members of the House Democrats Task Force on Rural Broadband, the New York State Blue Ribbon Commission on Re-Imagining New York, the Federal Communications Commission, and has presented before numerous state and county governments. In addition to his academic writing, his work has been published in The New York Times, Tech Policy Press, The Hill, Realtor Magazine, Law & Political Economy, Digital Beat, GovTech, Zocalo Public Square, Washington Monthly, Columbia Journalism Review, and The Conversation.
Fireside Chat: Lucky LEO and What Comes Next
Monday, May 18, 2026
4:15 PM - 4:45 PM ET