The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the deep digital divide in Mexico and the enormous challenge faced by its education system in continuing to educate the country's students while under confinement. This article examines the determinants of internet access, use and productive uses for school-age children in households of different socioeconomic levels. The research shows that children's internet access and usage patterns depend on the level of schooling, economic status, digital skills, and place of residence, as well as the presence of electronic devices and infomediaries in the household. These findings suggest the urgent need to redesign the current information and communication technology (ICT) policy with a long-term integrated vision that guarantees access to ICTs and their productive use for students immersed in a digital ecosystem of educational innovation. 

The Federal Communications Commission approved an initial set of 62 applications for funding commitments totaling $41.98 million for Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. The FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program supports the efforts of healthcare providers to continue serving their patients by providing reimbursement for telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the pandemic. This first set of awards will go to applications that qualify for the equitable distribution step, as required by Congress and outlined in the FCC’s rules, to ensure nationwide distribution of funding to healthcare providers. Round 2 is a $249.95 million federal initiative that builds on the $200 million program established as part of the CARES Act. Now that funding has been committed to the highest-scoring applications from each state, territory, and DC, the next funding awards will commit funding to the highest-scoring applications, regardless of geography, until at least $150 million has been committed. The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau will then announce an opportunity for all remaining applicants to supplement their applications.

An executive order signed by former Gov Gina Raimondo (D-RI) requires Internet service providers to comply with neutrality requirements when entering into certain public procurement contracts in Rhode Island. Lawmakers have proposed a bill to make the order a permanent law. “This is the fourth year the bill has been proposed,” said State Senator Louis DiPalma (D-RI). “It was passed previously by the Senate, but not the House.” The net neutrality principles prevent service providers from blocking lawful content, applications, or services related to network management and prohibiting the impairment of Internet traffic based on content or applications. The rules would also ensure providers are not engaging in paid prioritization or interfering with a customer’s ability to access and use broadband Internet, or preventing customers from using other Internet content, applications, services or devices of their choice. To implement these standards, the state’s Division of Purchases — with input from the Public Utilities Commission, Emergency Management Agency and Division of Information Technology — would amend state procurement rules to meet these requirements. The challenge, going forward, DiPalma said, is getting others to understand the importance of the bill so it can be passed before being overturned.

While the progress of digital equity varies by state, the remaining gaps have been brought to the forefront during the pandemic. In Southern California, Los Angeles officials have worked to implement programs and partnerships to increase access to digital devices and services as well as increasing digital literacy — a fundamental component to digital equity. Jeramy Gray, the county of Los Angeles’ chief deputy at the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, said the challenge is not only to provide access to an Internet-connected device but also to enable individuals to use the devices to improve their quality of life. The county has long offered technology literacy classes, free Wi-Fi, tutoring and more, he explained. The pandemic also displayed the importance of partnerships between government and organizations in the nonprofit, private and academic sectors; when local government agencies were challenged with ensuring kids could access Internet so their education experience was not interrupted, public and private partners offered their support. Gray added that while the infrastructure bill recently passed by the Senate offers a significant funding amount, more needs to be done within the space of broadband connectivity to reach digital equity.

Consumer groups are still very much concerned about what happens if TracFone gets acquired by Verizon even though Verizon promises to serve the public interest. Recently, several groups—including the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, Public Knowledge, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Access Humboldt, and the California Center for Rural Policy—announced they were withdrawing their objections because Verizon agreed to a set of commitments: Verizon will continue offering TracFone’s current Lifeline-supported services for at least three years after the close of the transaction. Verizon also said it will honor the rates and terms of the agreements that it’s assuming from TracFone for at least two years, and it will offer 5G plans to TracFone prepaid customers. But in meetings with Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's office, Common Cause and New America's Open Technology Institute repeated their concerns about the transaction’s potential to undermine the Lifeline program and raise prices for low-income consumers. OTI and Common Cause emphasized that Verizon has a burden to demonstrate that the merger will benefit the public interest — not merely that it would avoid harm. “At a minimum, the proposed conditions should be seen as the floor, not the ceiling, for any potential remedy the [FCC] might be considering,” they wrote. The consumer groups said any conditions must be strictly enforced, and behavioral conditions are “notoriously difficult” to monitor.