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March 2023

2023 Charles Benton Digital Equity Awards

A more equitable, more just society. What an audacious goal. But it is a goal that, I believe, everyone here shares. “It takes a village” is such an understatement. What it takes to reach this ambitious but increasingly necessary goal is all of us pulling in the same direction over many miles and many years. What it takes is commitment, innovation, leadership, and collaboration. Today we get to celebrate some digital equity heroes. These champions demonstrate the commitment, innovation, leadership, and collaboration we all need to embrace in our own work.

Sens. Luján (D-NM), Matsui (D-CA), Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Close Divide on Digital Equity, Inclusion, and Literacy

US Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and US Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) led US Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to reintroduce the "Digital Equity Foundation Act" (S.

Speech

2023 Charles Benton Digital Equity Awards

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Sen. Hawley (R-MO) Introduces Bill Requiring Big Tech Companies Give Children's Data Back to Parents

US Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the 

Legislation to Reform Section 230 Reintroduced in the Senate, House

US Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with US Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Mike Levin (D-CA), reintroduced the "Safeguarding Against Fraud, Exploitation, Threats, Extremism and Consumer Harms (SAFE TECH) Act" to reform Section 230 and allow social media companies to be held accountable for enabling cyber-stalking, online harassment, and discrimination on social media platforms. Specifically, the SAFE TECH Act would force online service providers to address misuse on their platforms or face

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) Reintroduces Legislation To Help Communities Expand Broadband Infrastructure

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) reintroduced the "Broadband Incentives for Communities Act," which creates a grant program to provide local and state governments with the resources to facilitate, modernize, and streamline broadband upgrades and deployment. In order to upgrade and expand broadband infrastructure, local governments work with private wireless companies to build out the necessary technology across communities. This requires these companies to submit zoning and permitting applications, but many wireless technology applications often do not fit the traditional governmental r

Cable giant Charter is building hundreds of thousands of fiber passings this year

Charter Communications has talked a lot recently about its rural expansion plans. But what it hasn’t drawn attention to is the fact that most - if not all - of its planned rural passings will be delivered with fiber. The operator originally announced its rural build plan in 2021 after the close of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction. All told, it said it was planning to spend $5 billion – including $1.2 billion in RDOF subsidy money – to reach 1 million rural locations across 24 states over the coming years.

ACA Connects chief touches upon key broadband industry issues

ACA Connects President and CEO Grant Spellmeye underscored the top-of-mind issues pervading the broadband industry. Unsurprisingly, the allocation of federal funds was front and center. First, ACA wants to make sure broadband funding is going where it’s supposed to be, as Spellmeyer noted the organization is “very concerned” about overbuilding using government support. The biggest pot of broadband money comes from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Digital Equity Act of 2021 Request for Comments

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 includes a historic investment of $65 billion to help close the digital divide and ensure that everyone in America has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for distributing more than $48 billion in funding through several different programs.

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