The Federal Communications Commission’s existing broadband availability maps have been heavily criticized as inaccurate, especially for the purpose of distributing billions in subsidy dollars to extend broadband networks to unserved areas. In a rush to distribute the National Telecommunication and Information Administration's (NTIA's) Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) subsidy dollars, a few states have initiated their own mapping efforts and some advocates have proposed alternative mapping means using speed-test data to identify areas that lack adequate broadband. The usefulness of speed-test results to identify unserved or underserved areas has not been evaluated, and there are several reasons to doubt their utility:

• Speed tests reflect what speed tiers consumers buy rather than what is available;
• Tests are convenience samples;
• Testing is often used for troubleshooting, which biases the results downward. 

The results are not encouraging. Speed tests do not appear to be good proxies for actual broadband deployment. In areas where the Ookla data indicate broadband speeds are below the 25/3 Mbps threshold, about 86% of locations have broadband service available above that threshold. At the 100/20 Mbps threshold, about 94% of locations may purchase service meeting or exceeding that threshold. Other peculiarities are found, suggesting that speed-test results are not a suitable substitute for rigorous and careful mapping efforts, such as those the FCC is currently undertaking.

Conflicting lower court rulings about removing controversial material from social media platforms point toward a landmark Supreme Court decision on whether the First Amendment protects Big Tech’s editorial discretion or forbids its censorship of unpopular views. A panel of the conservative United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit handed down an opinion, effectively holding that the state of Texas may seize control of content moderation on major social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Governments that say conservative voices are the ones most often eliminated by the decisions of tech companies scored a major victory with the ruling, as the law now bars companies from removing posts based on political ideology. The stakes are rising not just for the government and the companies, but because of the increasingly dominant role platforms such as Twitter and Facebook play in American democracy and elections. Social media posts have the potential to amplify disinformation or hateful speech, but the removal of controversial viewpoints can stifle public discourse about important political issues. However, legal experts closely tracking the case said the 5th Circuit decision is at odds with long-standing court precedent and warned that the Texas law would force the companies to disseminate what they consider misinformation and harmful content on their platforms.

Housed at the Michelson 20MM Foundation, the Digital Equity Pooled Fund is a new collaboration between 20MM, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF), and California Community Foundation (CCF) that is focused on advancing digital equity in California. The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and The Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT) will comprise the Fund’s inaugural cohort of funded partners. "By pooling our funds to support ongoing, hands-on technical support for community-based organizations and local governments to participate in the state's critical regulatory processes, we are making a shared investment in leveling the playing field for the people and communities most affected by the digital divide,” said Shayna Englin, Director of California Community Foundation's Digital Equity Initiative. TURN’s work centers on advocating for affordable and dependable utility services and standing up for consumers across the state as an independent and unbiased voice. TURN’s Voice for Broadband Equity Project, directly supported by the fund, will provide training and technical assistance to BIPOC-led and BIPOC- and low-income-serving organizations who want to participate in proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Concurrently, CforAT represents people with disabilities before the CPUC for both telecommunications policy and energy policy.

Detroit Digital Inclusion Director Joshua Edmonds is departing the city to head up a nonprofit organization that also works in the digital equity space. Edmonds has taken a position as CEO of DigitalC, a Cleveland-based nonprofit focused on getting people connected to high-speed, affordable Internet. He started with the city in December 2018 and was named Detroit’s director of digital inclusion in January 2019, making him one of the first people in the country to head up digital equity work within a municipal government. He departs as one of the most experienced and longest-tenured full-time digital inclusion staffers in any American city hall. The city is launching a nationwide search for Edmonds’ replacement. Edmonds said, “[Detroit has] an effective community engagement strategy with Connect 313, a plan for infrastructure, and three years of committed ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funding that will begin flowing to communities this fall and early next year."