Individuals with Disabilities

The Utah Broadband Center (UBC), part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, asks for public feedback on the drafts of the Utah Digital Connectivity Plan and Digital Equity Plan. Comments can be submitted online through July 6, 2023. The Utah Digital Connectivity Plan and Digital Equity Plan highlight Utah’s vision, goals, objectives, and strategies to help get all Utahns connected to affordable high-speed broadband internet and access to the tools and resources needed to succeed in the digital world.

Powered by a contribution from AT&T, the Public Library Association (PLA) has selected more than 200 public libraries across 45 states to host digital literacy and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) workshops.

In the past several years, our society has learned more, faster than ever before. However, the flow of information in our digital world is interrupted by serious accessibility barriers for the deaf community. Navigating the hearing world with few accommodations and limited resources—including broadband and online access to training and professional development—is holding some people back.

This month, the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) released the state's draft Broadband Action Plan, which provides a roadmap for Maine's progress toward digital equity moving forward. The plan envisions a Maine where everyone, especially those traditionally underserved and facing more barriers to being connected, can take full advantage of the economic, educational, health, civic, social and other benefits that reliable, affordable, high-speed broadband can provide.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society supports the FCC’s inquiry into data caps which limit the amount of access consumers have to data before they are charged surplus fees or cut off from service. There is scant evidence that such caps are necessary and their consequences can be especially disastrous for vulnerable populations. Data caps are particularly problematic for low-income individuals who may find themselves facing unexpectedly large fees at the end of the month as a result of surpassing a data cap.

As states act to capitalize on federal broadband funding, Louisiana has been leading the way.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to require video conferencing platforms—like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Webex—to comply with the accessibility requirements under the Communications Act and agency rules that govern interoperable video conferencing services. Video conferencing is routinely used by millions of people for workplace conferences, classes, and conversations with family and friends.

Maine faces a perfect storm of challenges in achieving digital equity. Our remote and rugged terrain makes our state one of the most difficult and expensive to reach with digital infrastructure. As the oldest state in the nation, we have a significant population that didn’t grow up with all of the technology available today. Maine’s median household and per capita income lag behind most other states. Almost all of us live in small, rural communities with limited resources. These forces combine to shape the contours of the digital divide in Maine.

Across the country, broadband advocates and representatives are crunching numbers to figure out how to implement an often under-examined piece of the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program puzzle: What does digital equity look like? Passed alongside BEAD as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Digital Equity Act (DEA) provides $2.75 billion dollars that will be parsed between states and territories to help them implement digital equity plans.