Federal
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FCC July 2024 Open Meeting Agenda
Here’s what to expect for the Federal Communications Commission's jam-packed July Open Meeting agenda.
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Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on New Administration Actions to Increase Access to Affordable, High-Speed Internet
Every person in America should be able to access affordable, high-speed internet no matter where they live or how much they earn. I am proud to highlight that we are finalizing a rule to allow schools and libraries—primarily in low-income and rural areas—to use funding from the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program for Wi-Fi hotspots that will increase access to remote learning and virtual library services. Additionally, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will award over $9 million to the state of Nevada to implement their Digital Equity Plan.
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FCC Will Vote to End Exorbitant Phone & Video Call Rates for Incarcerated Persons & Their Families
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades.
2024 hasn't been 'year of execution' for BEAD
One year has passed since the White House announced how much money each state and territory will receive from the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
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FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Proposes Final Rules to Support Wi-Fi Hotspots Through E-Rate Program
Millions of students, school staff, and library patrons around the country are on the wrong side of the digital and educational divide and, as a result, lack the same access to educational resources as their peers.
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Digital Equity Act at a Glance
The third grant program funded by the Digital Equity Act of 2021 is the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. This information can guide organizations as they Get Ready to prepare their applications. The grant's purpose is to create the conditions where individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in the society and economy of the United States. Allowable uses of grant awards include:
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American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Island, and the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Digital Equity Plan Accepted
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted Digital Equity plans from American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each territory received $150,000 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program to create a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state. NTIA has now accepted digital equity plans from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S.
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Biden-Harris Administration Awards $9 Million to Nevada to Advance Digital Inclusion Efforts
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded more than $9 million to Nevada to implement its Digital Equity Plan.
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Michigan High Speed Internet Office Launches $13 Million Grant Process for Michigan's Inclusive Training, Technology and Equity Network
The Michigan High Speed Internet Office (MIHI) launched Michigan's Inclusive Training, Technology and Equity Network (MITTEN), a $13 million grant program to bolster digital inclusion and capacity building efforts for regional entities and collaboratives throughout the state. Applicants are encouraged to apply to be regional resource hubs and host sites for the state’s regional digital coordinators.
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The Future of Affordable Broadband: Life after the Affordable Connectivity Program
What can be done for the 23 million households that relied on the Affordable Connectivity Program? The Federal Communications Commission could start a proceeding to increase the amount of money in the USF so that it can fund an ACP-like subsidy. It has the power under the Communications Act, it has a consistent funding source, and it has a reason with the ACP’s expiration—an event former FCC Chief of Staff Blair Levin describes as the “biggest step any country has ever taken to widen, rather than close, its digital divide.” Given all this, why doesn’t the FCC act?