Digital Divide

The Federal Communications Commission has created the “Your Home, Your Internet” pilot program designed to raise awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) among households receiving federal housing assistance.

The Federal Communications Commission established the Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program to raise awareness about the nation’s largest ever broadband affordability effort, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) along with Reps Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Proper Leadership to Align Networks (PLAN) for Broadband Act (S.4767). The legislation requires the President to develop a national strategy to close the digital divide and a plan to implement that strategy. This legislation is based on a Government Accountability Office report that found that federal broadband efforts are fragmented and o

Holland (MI) is getting a citywide high-speed internet network that will be funded by taxpayer dollars after voters approved a $30 million ballot proposal in the city's election. The city of Holland asked voters on August 2, to approve a municipal fiber optic internet network that would provide fast and affordable internet across the city, and would be paid for and maintained through public funds.

The Federal Communications Commission released Form 477 data as of June 30, 2021. The top lines of the release are: 3.6 million housing units (as of 2019 projections) unserved by 25/3 broadband, which is 2.55 percent of the 141 million housing units nationally.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the USDA will begin accepting applications on September 6 for funding to expand access to high-speed internet for millions of people in rural America nationwide through the ReConnect Program, which received new funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). USDA is making additional funding available for high-speed internet in Round 4 of the ReConnect Program.

In early June 2022, around 500 young people from more than 100 countries descended on Kigali, Rwanda for the International Telecommunication Union’s first Generation Connect Global Youth Summit. Throughout my brief visit to Kigali, a number of themes emerged:

More than two and half years into a global pandemic, school districts continue to struggle with high-speed Wi-Fi and the inequities that result when students and families can’t get consistent and reliable access to essential learning.

SpaceX filed a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on July 29 in response to Viasat's previous claims that the company is unable to fulfill the requirements of its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) award. According to SpaceX, Viasat is trying to protect its legacy technology through influence the FCC to limit competition. The company also said that recent data from Ookla shows Starlink is able to provide the speeds necessary for RDOF funding, which exceed Viasat's performance.

The White House released updated fact sheets highlighting how President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is delivering results for all 50 states, territories, the District of Columbia, and Tribal communities. Eight months following the passage of the IIJA, the Biden-Harris Administration has made unprecedented investments in all 50 states and territories to build a better America that delivers for all communities. Since signing the law, the Biden-Harris Administration has hit the ground running to make major progress.