According to a report in February from the policy research firm Public Policy Associates, 2.1 million more children had broadband access in 2021 than 2019, following efforts at the local, state and federal levels to narrow the digital divide for online education during COVID-19 school closures. While there’s still progress to be made to connect underserved communities across the US, policy experts say it’s important to build upon the success of public-private partnerships and programs that have worked to expand K-12 Internet access. “For students [without reliable Internet], they’re back to what school was like before the pandemic for them, that they are back in school and learning in school but maybe don’t have the tools to be able to do assignments like other kids do at home that demand a computer and demand you’re connected to the Internet to access resources either from the school or the greater World Wide Web,” said Kevin Taglang, executive editor at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society. “We have to make sure broadband networks reach everybody where they live. That’s certainly a huge problem for sure in many rural areas, but it can be a problem in urban areas as well. The service that’s provided needs to be affordable.” Taglang said it’s encouraging to know that policymakers on the federal level have started to see the need to get involved in efforts to close the digital divide, noting that the Emergency Connectivity Fund helped push much-needed resources to school districts still grappling with the need to connect more families for online learning. He also made note of work in Chattanooga, where initiatives like HCS EdConnect and Tech Goes Home have helped to provide free Internet access, Chromebooks, tablets and training on digital skills to low-income families and community members, as a model for a comprehensive community approach to closing the digital divide. He added that nonprofits like the Pew Charitable Trusts have also worked successfully with states to help expand broadband access. Taglang said a defining feature of programs that have had success is encouraging community planning geared toward connecting underserved families from low-income rural and urban communities most in need of Internet access. “I think that, if it’s not 100 percent of homes and businesses that get access to broadband, we’re going to come pretty close,” he said. “If we get to the point where we can start assuming everybody has access to Internet at home, it’s amazing to think about what the possibilities are for more personalized learning, never having a snow day for kids again, everybody being able to do telehealth visits … A lot of these things are why the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society likes to think about what the possibilities are, and it really is an exciting time if we keep our focus and [take advantage of] legislation from Congress.”

As a full-time law student, I spend much of my day online doing schoolwork and sometimes taking classes. Many of my finals are take-home exams that require an internet connection. If not for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), I would have to take these classes and exams at the library or a coffee shop, where the environment could be very disruptive. In some cases, such as when prospective students take the LSAT or GRE, the proctors don’t allow you to take the exam in a public place because of the risk of cheating. Additionally, affordable internet access has facilitated all three of my remote legal internships I’ve completed while in law school. Beyond school and work, affordable internet access at home is vital for ensuring privacy during telehealth appointments—especially ones that involve highly sensitive information. The ACP benefit is crucial for me, my studies, and my valuable contributions to society as a future public interest lawyer. Congress must extend the program to promote equity and opportunity for all students and families.

[Brandee McGee was a summer 2023 legal intern at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.]

The Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) is launching an open process for internet service providers (ISPs) to compete for $374 million in America Rescue Plan Act (APRA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLFR) Funds to expand access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet service in Oklahoma. The OBO released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the program. Starting September 18, competitive proposals can be submitted by ISPs through a portal on the office’s website. The portal will close on October 9. After the proposal submission window closes, an Overbuild Prevention Contest Process will be launched to allow ISPs to review the proposals and help ensure no funding is awarded to provide service to homes and businesses that already have high-speed internet access.

A Q&A with the New York City (NYC) Office of Technology & Innovation’s Brett Sikoff centered on increasing broadband accessibility via the city's Big Apple Connect program. The program has delivered free high-speed internet to 220 public housing developments across the city: that’s over 300,000 New Yorkers who now have access to the internet for free. Additionally, Big Apple Connect simplified the way people get connected: there’s no application, no approval or lengthy review required, and if you’re a resident in one of the more than 150,000 households eligible (in the NYCHA system), you automatically qualify. However, challenges include ensuring that residents outside of the public housing system have access and getting residents comfortable with an alternative provider. An overarching concern is the program's long-term funding; though funding is guaranteed for the initial three years with options for renewal for two more years, it's NYC's goal to ultimately have the Big Apple Connect program in place for as long as possible to ensure that people have the connectivity they need.

On August 30, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) wrote Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about Leader Schumer's SAFE Innovation Framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI). Sen. Bennet suggested that several critical elements be considered when developing the framework:

• A Values-Based Framework: A robust AI regulatory framework will require AI developers to construct their systems so that they preserve Americans’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties; protect against bias and discrimination; ensure safe environments for our children; and secure the integrity of our civic processes.
• Public Risk Assessments, Mitigation, and Audits: AI systems should undergo regular public risk assessments to examine their safety, reliability, security, explainability, and efficacy. We should couple these assessments with transparency and disclosure obligations to enable effective compliance audits.
• Content Indicators: AI-generated content should retain a distinct, easily recognizable signifier, such as a watermark, hard-coded indicator, or visual overlay, so users can readily identify AI content as AI content.
• AI Disclosure: AI platforms should disclose their AI nature at the beginning of a user’s interaction and periodically throughout in order to ensure that users understand what sort of system they are encountering.
• Data Transparency: Users must understand how AI systems intend to use, store, and transfer their personal data. Users should have a right to know how their data will contribute to any AI system’s training or optimization. Users should be informed about how their data, generated by interactions with AI systems, are used. Users should have the right through “opt- in” procedures to determine whether AI systems can collect and use their data.

A wide range of telecommunication companies and trade associations in the US oppose a new Federal Communications Commission proposal that would require regular reassessments of a foreign carrier's authorization to provide service in the US. Among the opposition, Verizon states that the FCC is proposing, "sweeping, one-size-fits-all reporting and disclosure mandates by which the [FCC] would regularly demand proprietary and confidential details...from all authorization holders, regardless of whether they pose any articulable risk." The FCC estimates that there are around 1,500 active international Section 214 authorization holders in the US today. The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA)—a trade association that primarily represents small wireless network operators—states, "This would suggest approximately 1,125 carriers raising little or no policy concern would be subjected to an ongoing renewal requirement. These carriers would be burdened by new regulatory requirements." Further, the CTIA—the main trade association for big US wireless network operators—warned that aggressive rules in the area could stifle investment. 

Charter Communications has frequently talked up the pace of its rural deployments, reaching 68,000 subsidized rural passings in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023. CFO Jessica Fischer said the Charter has a “tremendous opportunity” to expand its footprint to rural areas. Charter was one of the largest winners in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction, and Fischer noted progress in those builds “has been going quite well” in terms of pace and penetration. The company just scored around $116 million in grants to expand broadband in Kentucky, and it’s won funding in states like Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin.