Seniors/Aging Individuals
Connecting Older New Yorkers Through Skills Training, AI
Online classes for older adults are increasingly helping the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) not only raise digital skill levels—but more efficiently implement other technology to serve clients, including artificial intelligence.
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Wanna Get An A+ On BEAD? Unit-Level Connectivity For MDUs Is A Must
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) outlines specific requirements for states and subgrant recipients to ensure they provide comprehensive broadband service. Specifically, the Program “prioritizes projects designed to provide fiber connectivity directly to the end user.” Providing reliable, high-speed internet to every unit within a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) is implicitly required to meet the goals of the BEAD program.
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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.
California Public Utilities Commission rejects bid by AT&T that could have decimated landline service
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has rejected a bid by AT&T to no longer be the “carrier of last resort” for phone service in California. The ruling is a win for people who still use landlines. Being a carrier of last resort requires the company to provide basic telephone service. That often means installing and maintaining old fashioned copper landlines for those who have nothing else, and the state’s biggest carrier of last resort is AT&T.
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North Carolina Communities Awarded $30 Million to Help Close the Digital Divide
Across North Carolina, 63 community service, nonprofit, higher education and regional organizations will get $30 million in Digital Champion grants to help North Carolinians access and use high-speed internet.
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Biden-Harris Administration Approves Colorado and New Hampshire’s “Internet for All” Initial Proposals
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Colorado and New Hampshire’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. This approval enables Colorado and New Hampshire to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program—a major step towards closing the digital divide and meeting the President’s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.
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Connections and Collaboration in the Mountains
On June 4, the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at North Carolina State University, in partnership with the Dogwood Health Trust, hosted Digital Opportunities: Growing Connections Across North Carolina at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock.
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FCC Brings Affordable Connectivity Program to a Close
On May 31, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote to Congressional leaders to provide an update on the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Due to the expiration of funding, the FCC ended the ACP on May 31, 2024. Chairwoman Rosenworcel acknowledged some of the groups that will be impacted, including seniors, veterans, school-aged children, and Tribal households. The Chairwoman also detailed the steps the FCC has taken to help households adjust to the end of the ACP.
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Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program: What We Know and What’s to Come
The release of the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on March 29th triggered the countdown for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) mandates releasing the Competitive Grant NOFO within 30 days of the first Capacity award, so we expect it by late summer/early fall 2024. We will not know all the specifics until the NOFO is released.
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Digital and Educational Equity: How States Plan to Partner with Educational Institutions
Digital equity cannot be fully realized without the participation of educational institutions, including K-12 public schools, community colleges, historically black and other minority serving colleges and universities, and extension programs. Many state digital equity plans embrace education and potential collaborations with educational institutions. All states acknowledge that digital equity is critical to education.