Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet is a civil right. For those who remain on the wrong side of the digital divide, economic, educational, and civic engagement opportunities are increasingly out of reach. The consequences of not being connected impact more than the households that remain offline; it has a rippling effect throughout the country, particularly as it relates to our economic future. Yet in an era when so many aspects of our lives are dependent on a high-speed internet connection, a disproportionate number of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, low-income, and rural communities remain offline. Previous efforts at outreach and centering these communities have been lacking, and policies that have not focused on equity when addressing the digital divide have excluded marginalized communities from the benefits of broadband. Broadband policies that fail to bake in equity stall progress and impede the United States’ ability to compete globally. It is imperative that we learn from past failures and address all aspects of the digital divide through an equity lens, including availability, adoption, and access to economic opportunities.

[Alisa Valentin is the Senior Director of the Technology and Telecommunications Policy at the National Urban League.]

The Federal Communications Commission is requiring changes that it hopes will improve the reliability and resiliency of cellular networks to be better prepared for and respond better to emergencies. The FCC's order cites recent emergencies like Hurricane Ida, the earthquakes in Puerto Rico, severe winter storms in Texas, and worsening hurricane and wildfire seasons. This makes me wonder if we might someday see similar requirements for internet service providers (ISPs) and broadband networks. The FCC wants to leverage the industry-developed Wireless Network Resiliency Cooperative Framework as a starting point for introducing new rules it is calling the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative (MDRI). The new rules require cellular network owners to regularly test their emergency capabilities and file a report with the FCC after every declared emergency to describe in detail how the carrier ended up responding to the emergency. It’s a change that is overdue because, as the FCC notes, lives are dependent during an emergency on a functioning cellular network. However, one issue the order doesn’t address is that large parts of rural America still have poor or nonexistent cellular coverage. For these folks, a broadband connection is their lifeline to the world in the way that a cellular connection is vital to others during and after an emergency.

[Doug Dawson is president of CCG Consulting.]

Gov Jim Justice (R-WV) announced the preliminary approval of over $20.8 million in grant funding to begin a series of six broadband infrastructure projects across the state through the Major Broadband Project Strategies (MBPS) program. The MBPS program is a branch of Justice’s Billion-Dollar Broadband Strategy – a plan to invest over $1 billion in state and federal funds to make broadband connectivity available for the first time to 200,000 West Virginia homes and businesses. This latest announcement marks the first round of grants awarded through the MBPS program. The approved projects will result in more than 628 miles of new fiber infrastructure, providing broadband connectivity to 5,849 homes and businesses in West Virginia. The state’s total investment of $20,845,157 will leverage an additional $13,279,926 from other funding sources, for a total broadband infrastructure investment of $34,125,083 for this round alone.

Georgia State University announced it has signed the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge, committing to prepare educators with the skills to successfully use technology for learning in face-to-face, hybrid and online classrooms. The EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge is a partnership between the US Department of Education and the International Society for Technology in Education. By signing the pledge, Georgia State joins 18 institutions committed to preparing teachers to thrive in digital learning environments; preparing teachers to use technology to pursue ongoing professional learning; preparing teachers to apply frameworks to accelerate transformative digital learning; equipping all faculty to continuously improve expertise in technology for learning, and collaborating with school leaders to identify shared digital teaching competencies.