Broadband's Role in Equity Action Plans

On President Biden's first day in office, he signed the Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. The January 20, 2021 order states that the federal government must pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all. In doing this, the President tasked all executive departments and agencies with recognizing and working to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity. Federal agencies were to pursue more equitable goals and policy reforms. But how would they be held accountable? The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was put in charge of this effort. The executive order dictates that the head of each agency shall, in consultation with the Director of OMB, select certain of the agency’s programs and policies for a review that will assess whether underserved communities and their members face systemic barriers in accessing benefits and opportunities available pursuant to those policies and programs. Then, each agency should produce a plan for addressing those barriers to equity. A year and some months after the President's executive order, federal agencies have submitted their Equity Action Plans. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) have all submitted plans including the advancement of equity in federal broadband programs and policies. Here, we look at how the federal government's chief broadband agencies are working towards equitable broadband for all.