Press Release

The Federal Communications Commission announced that it is committing $361,037,156.16 in its latest wave of Emergency Connectivity Fund program support. This round of commitments will support 802 schools, 49 libraries and 8 consortia, which are approved to receive nearly 654,000 connected devices and over 313,000 broadband connections. This seventh funding wave brings total commitments to nearly $4.2 billion since the program was launched on June 29, 2021.

Parks Associates announced new industry and consumer research on consumer attitudes, usage, and adoption of connected devices and services from its quarterly surveys of 10,000 US broadband households. The research quantifies the impact of the pandemic, reveals key insights on the type and brand of devices in use, and identifies preferred devices for different use cases in the home.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced the ConnectALL initiative, the largest ever investment in New York's 21st-century infrastructure. Under the new initiative, New York State will use over $1 billion in public and private investments to connect New Yorkers in rural and urban areas statewide to broadband. This includes:

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Adrianne B Furniss named Adam Echelman a new Benton Fellow. Over the next two years, Echelman will create unique and diverse narratives that explore how low-income adults are grappling with the digital divide. The narratives will appear as a mix of photo essays, video shorts, radio interviews, feature articles, and op-eds. "Adam Echelman's exciting and much-needed work is exactly what the Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund was created to support," said Furniss.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the January 2022 Open Commission Meeting:

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs released the Alabama Broadband Map, the official broadband map for the state of Alabama.

January 4, 2022 is the deadline to nominate one or more people for the Charles Benton Digital Equity Champion Award and the Emerging Leader Award. Named for Charles Benton, the founder of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, the awards will be presented at Net Inclusion 2022 next month in Portland, Oregon.

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Adrianne B Furniss announced the appointment of Dr. Colin Rhinesmith as the organization’s new Senior Director of Research and Fellowships. Dr. Rhinesmith will find, secure, and manage a diverse cohort of fellows—researchers, advocates, and practitioners—and their projects supported by the newly created Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund. In addition, Dr.

In accordance with Congressional directives in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Federal Communications Commission officially launched the Affordable Connectivity Program, the $14.2 billion successor program to the Emergency Broadband Benefit which helped almost 9 million afford internet access during the pandemic. Eligible households are encouraged to apply to receive up to $30 per month discount toward internet service and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

Eighty-seven percent of US households get an Internet service at home, compared to 83% in 2016 and 69% in 2006.  Broadband accounts for 98% of households with an Internet service at home, and 85% of all households get a broadband Internet service – an increase from 81% in 2016 and 42% in 2006.