On June 26, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the Nevada Governor's Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT) over $9 million to implement the state's Digital Equity Plan, the first state to receive funding under the Digital Equity Capacity Grant program. As NTIA continuously awards the states funding to get started on their digital equity goals, we are taking a broad look at each state's implementation timeline as well as some highlights from each of their plans.

Objectives, Activities, and Timelines

Briefly, here are OSIT's main objectives and activities under the Digital Equity Plan, including each projected timelines.

Objective 1: Affordability and Access

According to OSIT's plan, Nevada does not intend to begin implementing any of its programs until 2026. All of the goals under affordability and access follow this plan, with the planning phase continuing through 2025 and the implementation phase beginning the following year and continuing through 2031. Activities include:

• Deploy a Cadre of Digital Navigators
• Promote Community WiFi and Computer Labs at Community Anchor Institutions
• Build Capacity Statewide to Provide ACP and other Affordability Enrollment Assistance

Objective 2: Devices and Tech Support

OSIT plans to implement the first two activities under this objective––establishing a device distribution matching fund and leveraging digital navigators for device support––first (starting in 2026 and ending 2031), and, with these efforts, create a statewide device distribution ecosystem. Thus, OSIT's timeline staggers the planning and execution phases for these activities.

• Establish a Device Distribution Matching Fund with Private Sector Support
• Leverage Digital Navigators to Provide Tech Support in Community Anchor Institutions
• Create a Statewide Device Distribution Ecosystem (Implementation: 2027-2031)

Objective 3: Digital Skills and Literacy

The Nevada Digital Equity Plan makes the creation of a public digital equity system asset map, as well as the creation of a statewide framework for digital skills training curriculum, priorities under this objective, with the planning and implementation phases all being complete by the end of 2026 for these two activities. Once a statewide digital equity ecosystem has been established with these steps, OSIT will then use these resources to begin funding digital literacy classes and extending funding and support to community partners. OSIT will also conduct an audit of state government websites as part of this step.

• Create a Public Digital Equity System Asset Map
  • Planning: 2025
  • Implementation: 2026
• Provide Grant Training and Support to Community Partners
  • Planning: 2025
  • Implementation: 2026-2031
• Create a Statewide Framework for Digital Skills Trainings Curriculum
  • Planning: 2025
  • Implementation: 2026
• Fund Digital Literacy Classes
  • Planning: 2025
  • Implementation: 2026-2031
• Fund On-Demand Technical Support
  • Planning: 2025
  • Implementation: 2026-2031
• Conduct an Audit of State Government Websites
  • Planning: 2026
  • Implementation: 2027

Objective 4: What Begins Today Doesn't End

The Nevada Digital Equity Plan's fourth objective includes forward-thinking activities to ensure the sustainability of long-term digital equity efforts, past the current traunch of funding. First in this category is the creation of a Digital Equity Dashboard and Digital Equity Investment Map. Then, OSIT will begin to evaluate the success of its funded programs, create a guide for funders on how to sustain successful work, and share success stories. OSIT will also update the plan continuously to reflect what is still needed by state residents facing digital inequities.

• Create a Digital Equity Dashboard and Digital Equity Investment Map
  • Planning: 2025
  • Implementation: 2026-2031
• Evaluate the Success of Funded Programs
  • Planning: 2026
  • Implementation: 2027-2031
• Create a What Works in Digital Equity Guide for Government and Non-Government Funders
  • Planning: 2027
  • Implementation: 2028-2031
• Tell Digital Equity Success Stories
  • Planning: 2026
  • Implementation: 2027-2031
• Review and Update this Digital Equity Plan
  • Planning: 2026
  • Implementation: 2027
  • Planning Round 2: 2028
  • Implementation Round 2: 2029-2031

A Funding Opportunity for Digital Equity Practitioners in Nevada

On July 24, NTIA released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, an initiative created by Congress in the Digital Equity Act of 2021 (a part of the larger Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). The Competitive Grant Program will fund annual grant programs for five years to address the gaps in the implementation of existing State Digital Equity Plans, proposals that will supplement or further advance State Digital Equity Plans, and/or proposals that address barriers to digital equity that the current State Digital Equity Plans failed to identify.

The following organizations are eligible to apply for Competitive Grant Program support:

1. A political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of a state, including an agency of a state that is responsible for administering or supervising adult education and literacy activities, or for providing public housing, in the state.
2. An Indian Tribe, an Alaska Native entity, or a Native Hawaiian organization.
3. A not-for-profit foundation, corporation, institution, or association.
4. A community anchor institution (defined by Congress to be a public school, a public or multi-family housing authority, a library, a medical or healthcare provider, a community college or other institution of higher education, a state library agency, and any other nonprofit or governmental community support organization.
5. A local educational agency. [In general, the term “local educational agency” means a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a state for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools.]
6. An entity identified by a state board or local board that carries out a workforce development program.
7. A partnership between any of the entities listed above. In fact, NTIA recognizes that partnerships are an effective means of serving Covered Populations and they are encouraged in the NOFO. Eligible entities may participate as a member of more than one partnership.

The Digital Equity Act explicitly says that schools are not eligible for this support—nor are the state broadband offices that participated in NTIA's State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program or the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.

Complete applications from Eligible Entities, including Indian Tribes, Alaska Native entities, and Native Hawaiian organizations must be received through the NTIA Grants Portal (https://grants.ntia.gov) no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on September 23, 2024. Application materials are available at broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov.

NTIA expects to begin issuing awards to applicants pursuant to this NOFO by late December 2024 and no later than April 20, 2025. NTIA expects to make awards on a rolling basis. NTIA anticipates that it will issue between 150 and 200 grant awards under this NOFO.

For more on Nevada's plan, see The Plan for Closing Nevada’s Digital Divide

Quick Bits

• Welch’s Affordable Connectivity Program Amendment Advances Out of Commerce Committee
• When is an apartment building considered connected to the internet? Millions of dollars depend on the answer
• An Open Letter to Congress on the Future of Universal Connectivity
• Demonstrating compliance with the Buy America requirement
• Tracking Project Progress in the Middle Mile Program

Weekend Reads

• Updated Lifeline Minimum Service Standards and Indexed Budget Amount
• A Report Card for Broadband Projects Funded by the American Rescue Plan
• Dual-Use Foundation Models with Widely Available Model Weights

ICYMI from Benton

• NTIA Offering Grants So You Can Help Get Covered Populations Online
• Project 2025's Plan for the NTIA
• Eliminating the Digital Divide in the District of Columbia Requires a Focus on Affordability
• Delaware Wants to be the First State to Achieve Universal Broadband—Affordability is a Key Component
• Broadband Affordability is an Ongoing Challenge for Low-Income Households
• Benton Institute Mourns Loss of Leonard Jay Schrager

Upcoming Events

Aug 7—August 2024 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)

Aug 13––Communications Equity and Diversity Council (FCC)

Aug 14—Precision Agriculture Task Force (FCC)

Aug 19––The Policy Implications of New Broadband Competition (Technology Policy Institute)

Aug 29––Technological Advisory Council (FCC)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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