Devices

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says he hopes to bring a resolution to the Senate to repeal the funding of Internet hot spots from the E-Rate Program, which is part of the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund. The original support for funding hot spots came from a July 2024 vote of the FCC under then-Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to allow the E-Rate program to pay for hot spots.

The extra money that flowed from the federal government during the pandemic has left districts in New Mexico with a problem. The pandemic boosted internet access for students. That’s in part because school districts purchased devices with relief money. These days, around 285,000 students in the state have a school-issued device, says John Chadwick, digital equity coordinator for the New Mexico Department of Education.

The City of Seattle’s Information Technology department (Seattle IT) supports digital equity programs and services as a coalition organization. The City began its digital equity work in the mid-1990s in response to community advocacy concerning access to information technology.

The Be Linked Alabama initiative is the state’s united effort to expand access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet to all Alabamians. Coordinated by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), Be Linked Alabama led to the development of the Alabama Statewide Digital Opportunity Plan.

The New York State Digital Equity Plan––created by the state's ConnectALL Office––envisions a state transformed by digital infrastructure that brings to all New York residents access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband for education, economic growth, and full participation in civic life.

Free Geek, a nonprofit organization located in Portland, Oregon, offers digital navigation as a core service, in alignment with its mission to “sustainably reuse technology, enable digital access, and provide education to create a community that empowers people to realize their potential.” Importantly, Free Geek is a computer refurbisher, facilitating access to free and affordable devices—a critical component of digital inclusion. Refurbishing computers enables the organization’s digital navigator work in two critical ways.

Digital skills and access to educational materials at home are critical for preparing students for the future. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic put into sharp focus the divide between students with and without consistent, reliable broadband and device access.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has a "fairly lengthy list" of last-minute Biden regulations that Republicans may try to undo in the coming weeks. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) gives Congress until mid-May to reverse what Republicans are calling the "midnight rules" of the Biden administration.

The National Telecommunications Administration (NTIA) awarded the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commission for Educational Technology over $9 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant funding towards implementing the state's Digital Equity Plan.

In its State Digital Equity Plan, the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) embraces digital equity to ensure that every person in New Mexico has equal opportunities to access education, health care, job prospects, government services, and information critical to personal growth and well-being.