Incarcerated Individuals
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FCC Announces Availability of Preliminary Incarcerated People's Communications Services Database
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) and the Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) announce the availability, under the terms of the 2023 IPCS Protective Order, of the preliminary Incarcerated People’s Communications Services (IPCS) Database (2023 IPCS Database). The FCC staff developed this database to help analyze data and other information that IPCS providers submitted in response to the Commission’s 2023 Mandatory Data Collection.
Minnesota made prison phone calls free but telecommunications price-gouging continues
As part of a growing effort to stop prison telecommunications monopolies from charging exorbitant fees for calls between prisoners and their families, in 2023 Minnesota became one of the first states to make all phone calls free for prisoners.
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State of the Union Address
Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 46,000 new projects have been announced across your communities – modernizing our roads and bridges, ports and airports, and public transit systems. ... Providing affordable high speed internet for every American no matter where you live.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill
The Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act provides a total of $68.537 billion in discretionary funding. The bill provides $10.8 billion for the Department of Commerce.
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Technology Education Programs in Prisons increase Prosocial Behaviors and Computing Attitudes
Currently, the majority of incarcerated people in the United States cannot access consistent, high-quality education. When they are released, they often lack skills that are in high demand by employers.
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For the First Time, All States will have a Plan to Address Digital Equity
All 50 States, DC, and Puerto Rico have submitted their Digital Equity Plans to NTIA for acceptance. This is a milestone moment in closing the digital divide. For the first time in our nation’s history, each state will have a plan to connect communities with the resources they need to achieve digital equity. That’s never been true before, and it’s an exciting indicator of how far we’ve come as a nation in acknowledging and addressing this challenge.
Hawai'i Digital Equity Plan
The vision of the Digital Equity Plan for Hawaiʻi will be the overarching guide that will steer the direction of all strategies, objectives, and actions in this plan. As remote work, online learning, telehealth services, and virtual interactions became essential, individuals and communities faced immense obstacles getting digitally connected. These challenges will continue without high quality Internet access, adequate tools, and the necessary digital literacy skills.
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Why Leading with Digital Equity Matters
Maine is the first state in the country to have its Digital Equity Plan approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This is a major accomplishment in that this represents the first statewide Digital Equity Plan to ever be developed for our state (and the first tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—also known as Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). And, it is fitting that our Digital Equity Plan can now be put into motion ahead of any infrastructure deployed through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
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Sustaining the Movement and Funding: The Future of Digital Inclusion
We have 1,300 people at Net Inclusion 2024 in Philadelphia. We’ve secured $2.75 billion from the Digital Equity Act. And this is just the beginning. It has to be just the beginning. So how do we sustain this movement? The answer to sustainability lies in robust digital inclusion ecosystems. They’re the key to HOLISTIC digital inclusion. Digital equity is the goal, and digital inclusion ecosystems lead us there by weaving together digital inclusion activities happening across your communities. These 6 strategies will help sustain our movement and field:
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Maine Leads Nation with First Plan To Close the Digital Divide
Maine is the first state in the country to have its Digital Equity Plan approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The plan outlines the steps the state will take to expand access to high-speed, reliable internet and break down barriers to connections, especially for populations most impacted by the digital divide. Its approval is the first step for Maine to qualify for Digital Equity Act funding, resulting in an estimated allocation between $12 million and $14 million.