Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

After the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law in 2021, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) was tasked with the creation of an Internet for All plan that will work to close the digital divide for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, expanding high-speed internet access and digital equity programming across the state. MBI plans to accomplish these tandem goals include its Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Initial Proposals Volume 1 and 2, as well as the State Digital Equity Plan.

The Northeast Digital Equity Summit (NDES) convened educators and researchers from land-grant universities across the Northeast in a virtual setting on September 19, 2023. Organized by Penn State Extension, University of Maryland Extension (UME), Cornell Extension, and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), the primary emphasis of the summit was to explore how the inherent characteristics of extension programs make them well-suited for leading collaborative efforts toward achieving localized digital equity.

The West Virginia Department of Economic Development, Office of Broadband (WVDED) has officially launched its Digital Equity Asset Map and Dashboard. The map is meant to show West Virginia residents and practitioners what digital inclusion resources are available throughout the Mountain State. Users can filter entities by county, type of organization, and type of resource provided.

The Federal Communications Commission grants Resound Networks a limited waiver of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) obligation to serve areas in Oklahoma and Arizona overlapped by the Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma's and Cocopah Tribe of Arizona's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Round 1 awards.

The Federal Communications Commission Form 484 application filing window for the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program will open on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 8 a.m. E.T., and close on Friday, November 1,

President Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law promised to help Virginia expand broadband internet to hard-to-reach corners of the commonwealth—investing nearly $1.5 billion to improve a key service across a swing state crucial to Democrats’ hopes in the November election. The program, known officially as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (or BEAD) and embedded in Biden’s mammoth infrastructure law, was meant to bring a vital service to communities across America.

Governor Roy Cooper urged North Carolina local and tribal governments, nonprofits and broadband service providers to help identify areas across the state that need better access to high-speed internet. These organizations are encouraged to submit data challenging eligible locations for inclusion in the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which launches in early 2025. The program provides $1.53 billion to North Carolina to bring high-speed internet infrastructure to unserved and underserved locations across the state. The N.C.

When the state of Kentucky made plans to award $300 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for broadband deployments, the priority was on getting high-speed service to the neediest areas first. “Our priority with the ARPA funding was reaching areas that had no service,” said Meghan Sandfoss, executive director of Kentucky’s Office of Broadband Development. The state awarded the $300 million in ARPA funding in two rounds.

Students need fast and reliable access to the internet at school, at home, and anywhere that learning may take place. While great strides have been made towards connecting K-12 students, particularly at schools, many students still lack a reliable connection off-campus. This leaves students and families unable to fully engage in learning and prepare for careers, and teachers and districts are struggling to use technology in an impactful and equitable manner. Two major factors influence impactful learning opportunities for K-12 students—internet and device access.

In prisons and jails across the country, a bulky tablet enclosed in a screwed-on plastic case has become the hottest new device. Featuring limited online access, the tablets allow incarcerated people to make calls, send messages and watch movies from their cells.