Digital Equity Funding Boosts Innovative Connectivity in Indiana

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced, in late October 2024, that Indiana would receive over $15 million through the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program created by Congress through the Digital Equity Act. With this funding, the Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) is able to implement its Digital Opportunity Plan for the state, created in partnership with the Purdue University Center for Regional Development (PCRD) and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). Broadly, the plan's objectives include initiatives to:

• Roll out large-scale programs facilitated with other state agencies focused on telehealth expansion, digital skills for incarcerated individuals, and accessibility of state websites and digital services;
• Upgrade state websites for accessibility and usability; and
• Introduce the Indiana Digital Skills program, a campaign to address connectivity barriers, device access, and digital literacy.

Here is a look at all the activities included in IBO's Digital Opportunity Plan, when state residents can expect the see the activities launched, and how the effectiveness of programs will be measured.