Initial funding for digital equity plans is available. But how do states plan to use it?

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently finished approving digital equity plans for all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington (DC) in what Administrator Alan Davidson called a “milestone moment.” The grants announced in the March 29 notice of funding opportunity can be used to begin implementation of those plans, which identify the barriers in each state to accessing and using digital resources and establish measurable objectives for promoting access and use of broadband technology. Based on analysis of the digital equity plans, states are broadly facing the same challenges in getting their residents online. The biggest of those is ensuring that broadband internet is affordable. Many states, including Kansas, Maine and Nevada, had planned to rely on the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, which provides low-income households with a $30-a-month subsidy to pay for internet access. In addition to making broadband affordable, states said another challenge is that many residents lack the digital skills to take full advantage of the technology, and as a result, are prevented from making “meaningful use” of the internet.