Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Biden-Harris Administration Awards $6.3 Million to Idaho to Implement Digital Inclusion Efforts

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded more than $6.3 million to Idaho to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Utah Broadband Center Announces Key Dates for Utah’s BEAD Pre-application Portal

The Utah Broadband Center (UBC), part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), announces Utah’s launch of the registration and pre-application portal for the state’s Broadband Infrastructure Grant (BIG). This grant is made possible through the federally funded Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The $42.5 billion BEAD program, part of the U.S.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Our Enduring Commitment to Global Connectivity

We’re launching a refresh of the Microsoft Digital Equity Data Dashboard with current data from the Federal Communications Commission, the United States Census Bureau, Code.org, Broadband Now, and Microsoft to help federal, state, and local policymakers gain a better understanding of the factors contributing to the digital divide in communities across the United States.

BEAD’s progress and variety: Some states are charging ahead but some will need more time, and BEAD mapping is complicated

As the three-year anniversary of the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act approaches on November 15, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program hasn’t connected anyone yet, but a lot is in motion. Application windows are open. Louisiana is ahead of the game and should complete its subgrantee selection soon. Some states, though, will need extended time.

It’s not easy to keep urban areas connected to broadband

The telecommunications industry is pinning its hopes on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to bring broadband to all hard-to-reach rural locations across the U.S.

The Opportunities When You Start at 99%: Connecticut’s State Broadband Director

When it comes to connectivity, Connecticut (pun intended) is in the enviable situation of having 99 percent of its locations already powered by broadband. But statewide usage statistics—from the American Community Survey and providers’ adoption data—showed that only about 87 percent of its locations actually subscribe to internet.

Comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Regarding Project LEIA

Adoption is now the primary barrier to closing the digital divide. While deployment subsidies have been the bread and butter of broadband policy for decades, now that implementation of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA’s) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program is underway, broadband policy must retool for a future that prioritizes adoption efforts to address the leading causes of Internet non-use rather than the dwindling problem of lack of deployment. Digital inclusion efforts that can address adoption gaps

Milton's Four Horses Ride Through Florida

Tornadoes, heavy rain, hurricane-force wind, and storm surge. Any of these could devastate a community.

Kamala Harris’s Rural Broadband Flop

In 2021 Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) agreed to lead the administration’s $42 billion plan for expanding high-speed internet to millions of Americans. That year, she tweeted that “we can bring broadband to rural America today.” Today, nearly three years after Congress passed the infrastructure bill that created the program, not one home or business has been connected through it.

Beware these common pitfalls that can bedevil BEAD projects

Procurement, permitting and people. Those are the three Ps to remember if you want to ensure a smooth broadband build. Steven Greene, Technical Program Manager at the Utah Broadband Center, said broadband builders often assume they can readily get the supplies they need for their projects. But without a solid procurement plan in place, shortages can quickly become problematic. That’s especially true of upcoming Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) projects.