Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Tennessee Gov Bill Lee (R-TN) and Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter approved $26.6 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which will assist communities with infrastructure improvements and health and safety initiatives. “Forty new communities are increasing the quality of life for Tennesseans through these crucial infrastructure grants, and I look forward to seeing the benefit and economic growth this funding brings to their regions.” said Gov Lee.

Peoria County (IL) has launched a Digital Equity Pilot program designed to provide low-cost or no-cost internet access to eligible low-income households. The initiative is funded through a $125,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. The importance of reliable internet access became undeniable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it shifted from being a luxury to a necessity for daily life.

From communities in Appalachia and Florida to the Hawaiian Islands, no part of the US is untouched by the increased climate-related disasters we’ve seen in the past few years. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is updating and publishing a disaster response framework, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance submitted comments to advocate for stronger integration of digital inclusion activities into post-disaster efforts. NDIA's key recommendations fall under five main categories:

It's very likely that the incoming Trump administration will smile on satellite Internet companies such as SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper. And that could have serious implications for fiber vendors like Calix and Corning, as well as fiber network operators like AT&T, Brightspeed, Altice, Windstream and others. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is designed to funnel $42.45 billion through US states for broadband networks in rural areas.

With Election Day in the rearview mirror, the U.S. is considering what a second Donald Trump administration means for the country. For the broadband industry, that means wondering what will happen with the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The long and the short of it? The biggest influence on BEAD could come from outside the government.

Comcast, Goodwill Industries International (GII), and World Education have developed and launched the Goodwill Digital Navigator Certificate Specialization training program. The program aims to equip community supporters with skills to enable them to thrive in the quickly changing advanced digital workplace. The digital training was made available to GII employees in the United States during the past month, and now can be accessed by anyone. The program costs $49 and consists of three courses.

For Cherokee citizens living on and off the reservation, staying connected is more than just having access to the internet. It’s about staying close to their Tribe and culture and feeling part of the digital world. The Cherokee Nation is making strides toward improving broadband access on their reservation, which spans an incredible 7,000 square miles in rural northeastern Oklahoma.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award an application from Wisconsin, allowing the state to request access to more than $13 million 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. Wisconsin will use the $13,248,029 in funding to implement key digital equity initiatives, including:

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award an application from West Virginia, allowing the state to request access to more than $9 million 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. West Virginia will use the $9,011,588 in funding to implement key digital equity initiatives, including:

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today has approved and recommended for award applications from Alabama and Utah, allowing them to request access to more than $20 million to implement their Digital Equity Plans. 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. The states will use the funding to implement key digital equity initiatives.

Alabama: $13,702,566