Digital Divide

Massachusetts’ is looking at the bigger picture, not just network rollouts. Although Massachusetts already has around 99 percent broadband coverage (based on statistics from the Federal Communications Commission’s national broadband map), there’s still an adoption gap. So, Massachusetts is trying to look at broadband “holistically,” infrastructure as well as “all the other elements that are needed” to make sure people “can really take advantage of the access to the service.” In November 2023, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute launched the Gap Networks Grant Program, a new $145 million g

Video calls offer an opportunity for families to maintain and strengthen their ties to each other while under the great strain of separation imposed by incarceration. A 2015 study of state prison visits found that the majority of people in prison are held 100 miles away from their homes. Given this reality, along with the connection between poverty and incarceration, it’s no surprise that families of incarcerated people are often unable to afford transportation to visit their loved ones in person.

San Francisco (CA) has offered jail tablets and their content at no cost to incarcerated people, part of a wave of institutions starting to decouple carceral communications from a profit motive. The free tablet program was introduced in May of 2023, a logical follow-up to San Francisco making jail phone calls free in 2020, the first county in the country to do so and the second city after New York. Before 2023, the San Francisco jails had never implemented any tablet program for all inmates.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel informed Congress that without an additional $6 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the program will run out of funds by mid-2024. The program, created with over $14 billion, is less than 2 years old.

We are writing to express our support for extending funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, an essential program that over 23 million families rely on to access quality and affordable high-speed internet. The Affordable Connectivity Program has been a key tool in our efforts to eliminate the digital divide in America since it was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. The fact that the Affordable Connectivity Program was enacted into law as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is not lost on us – it’s a program that has wide support.

It will be super complicated for states to define the bidding areas for Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) grants. Some states may define bid areas by census blocks, school districts, or some other defined geography or cluster, while other states may go with a “free-for-all” approach, allowing bidders to say where they want to bid.

On Dec 15, 2023, Republican leadership from the Senate and House Commerce Committees wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel with questions and concerns abbout the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic posed dire challenges for digital inclusion and digital literacy among marginalized communities. This article adopts a case study approach to analyse how the digital navigator programme (DNP) in Philadelphia addresses these challenges.

As we think about Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are reminded of the ongoing pursuit for equity, justice, and the civil rights leader’s legacy and vision of a world with equal access to opportunities. Google Fiber aspires to be a part of this dream, by helping to bridge the digital divide and foster inclusivity in our increasingly connected world. Everyone deserves fast, reliable internet at an accessible price, and the ability to put that internet connection to use.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal benefit that helps qualifying low-income households pay for internet service and devices. Since January 2022, the ACP has grown to help over 22 million U.S. households (roughly one in six of all Americans) access the internet. However, the ACP is running out of funding. Congress originally appropriated $14.2 billion for the ACP, but over time that amount has been spent down to the point where the ACP is on course to run out of funding this Spring.