Fight to Close Digital Divide Gets Record $2.75 Billion Bump

The $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure package cleared by the House on November 5 includes a record $2.75 billion in state grants to help millions of Americans access and use technology—a great start, advocates say, but more is needed. The legislation would create new grant programs over five years that would be administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), including: $1.44 billion for state implementation grants; $1.25 billion for competitive grant programs that individual groups, coalitions or communities can apply for; and $60 million for state planning grants. The bill also would direct states that want to apply for these grants to submit digital equity plans to NTIA for review prior to receiving funding. Many advocates said the $2.75 billion is a good initial down payment but won’t bridge the digital divide, and more funding will be necessary. One potential funding source would be for Congress to designate proceeds from auctions of the public airwaves conducted by the Federal Communications Commission to fund digital equity programs. Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, said the digital divide is a moving target. “Until we really start addressing the systemic kind of change, where there are institutions that are always addressing the next digital divide, technology is going to keep changing and how we use it is going to keep changing,” she said.