Digital Divide

Sens Capito, Hassan Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Close Urban-Rural Digital Divide

Sens Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced the bipartisan Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Act of 2018 to help close the urban-rural digital divide and expand access to broadband in rural communities.

President Trump’s infrastructure plan has no dedicated money for broadband

President Donald Trump's new 10-year plan for "rebuilding infrastructure in America" doesn't contain any funding specifically earmarked for improving Internet access. Instead, the plan sets aside a pool of funding for numerous types of infrastructure projects, and broadband is one of the eligible categories. Broadband would be eligible for funding from a proposed $20 billion Transformative Projects Program, along with transportation, clean water, drinking water, energy, and commercial space.

President Trump infrastructure plan leaves out rural broadband funding

President Donald Trump's $200 billion infrastructure proposal released Feb 12 includes $50 billion in funding for rural communities, but nothing specific for broadband deployment. Even though President Trump has talked about the importance of expanding broadband in rural areas, he has not committed any funding to help build networks. Instead, his efforts have been aimed at eliminating red tape and regulation to get infrastructure built.  

America Needs More Fiber

[Commentary] The solution to the country’s digital divide isn’t going to come from private-market competition, but rather from massive government mobilization. Just don’t call it “nationalization.”

FCC Seeks Nominations for Tribal Gvt Reps to Serve on Renewed FCC Native Nations Communications Task Force

Since its establishment in March 2011, the Federal Communications Commission Native Nations Communications Task Force has been composed of senior FCC staff and elected or appointed leaders from federally recognized Tribal governments or governmental entities, or their designated employees, and has helped the Commission fulfill its commitment to increasing broadband deployment and adoption on Tribal lands.  In view of the Task Force’s increasing involvement in a range of Commission matters and undertakings going beyond broadband deployment and adoption, the Commission, through its Office of

Cities to federal government: Don't tell us how to build our internet

At the end of January, San Jose's (CA) Mayor, Sam Liccardo, brought the issue of the digital divide fight into the open, publicly resigning from a Federal Communications Commission committee tasked with recommending ways to speed up broadband deployment. "I concluded that there is no will from this FCC or from this committee to put the lip service about bridging the digital divide into action," Mayor Liccardo said. "And I decided it was time to stop participating in this charade that there was a legitimate voice for local communities at this table."

Digital natives will get old, too

[Commentary] If tech companies start to include seniors in their business models from the start, they will find a significant upside. Seniors are a vast and underserved market. If technology becomes friendlier to the whole population, especially the booming numbers of older Americans, companies will find their business landscapes expanding along with their consumer base. Everyone will benefit from having happy, healthy, active grandparents — not least of all, grandparents themselves.

America's digital divide, in 2 maps

Both maps illustrate just what a patchwork broadband access remains in the United States, with well-connected areas right next to disconnected areas. Overall, more than 30 percent of rural America still lacks access to what the Federal Communications Commission considers adequate broadband. That’s a stark contrast from urban areas, where only 2.1 percent lack this connectivity.

The least connected people in America

Rural Indian reservations have lower rates of coverage than anywhere else in the nation. About 35 percent of Americans living in tribal lands lack broadband access, according to the most recent report by the Federal Communications Commission. In Idaho, the FCC estimates that 83 percent of the tribal population lacks broadband, making the Nez Perce tribe among the least-connected groups in the country.

Remarks of Assistant Secretary Redl at MMTC Broadband and Social Justice Summit

Today I'm going to talk about what the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NDIA) and the Administration are doing to help promote investment in broadband and ensure that all Americans have access to the connectivity they need to meaningfully participate in the modern economy.

Remarks of FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, US Safer Internet Day

What an honor it is, to take part in Safer Internet Day 2018 with you, the future leaders of this state and nation.

Remarks Of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai At MMTC's 9th Annual Broadband And Social Justice Summit

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) has been a formal partner for some key initiatives at the Federal Communications Commission. I’m speaking in particular about our Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment and our Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. I wanted to spend some timegiving an update on the latest developments regarding these important ventures.

Smart policies needed to drive 5G deployment

To accelerate the benefits of 5G, we need elected leaders at every level of government to adopt smart policies that support the deployment of new infrastructure. Fortunately, policymakers are already moving in the right direction. Leaders on both sides of the aisle and across the federal government have sent strong signals that it’s time to double down on America’s future in 5G, and time to start finding ways to accelerate deployment, remove regulatory barriers, connect local communities and close the digital divide.

The White House has finally restored a petitions site that is critical of President Trump

In December 2017, the White House took down the popular “We the People” petitions website with the promise that it would be restored by “late January.” Now petitions.whitehouse.gov has relaunched. A number of petitions have signature totals that surpass the 100,000 threshold used during the Obama years to initiate a formal response, but the White House has not responded to a petition since President Donald Trump took office.

FCC and Tribal Broadband Deployment

FCC Commissioner Clyburn: “When it comes to the FCC’s commitment to expand tribal broadband, what’s the hold up? Chairman Pai repeatedly claims that closing the digital divide is among his top priorities, yet nearly a year has elapsed since a proposal was first put forward to help improve connectivity for Native communities and still no action. As my colleagues in the Majority are fond of saying, companies need certainty. I agree.

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda For February 2018 Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the February Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 22, 2018.

Innovation Month at the FCC

Feb 2 is Groundhog Day. Fittingly, I’m announcing an agenda for the Federal Communications Commission’s February meeting that revisits some familiar themes from the past year: modernizing outdated rules, closing the digital divide, and most significantly, promoting innovation.

Gov Rick Snyder (R-MI) signs Executive Order to create a roadmap for enhancing statewide broadband access and connectivity

A comprehensive plan to improve access to broadband services in Michigan will be developed under an Executive Order signed by Gov Rick Snyder (R-MI).

FCC Takes Final Steps for Next Phase of Rural Broadband Expansion

The Federal Communications Commission took the final actions required to launch its innovative Connect America Fund Phase II auction, which will provide up to nearly $2 billion over the next decade to expand fixed, high-speed Internet service in unserved rural areas. In a Public Notice adopted Jan 30, the FCC scheduled the auction to begin on July 24, set a March 30 deadline for applications to participate, and set out detailed procedures for the auction. The FCC also adopted an Order on Reconsideration resolving all pending challenges to earlier FCC auction implementation decisions.

Libraries: Building Community Resilience in Colorado

The Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries is pleased to announce the publication of Libraries: Building Community Resilience in Colorado. This report is the result of a collaboration with the Colorado State Library. The report unveils a set of opportunities and recommendations for building public-private and public-public library partnerships statewide that include participation in new youth initiatives, workforce readiness, and libraries serving as civic hubs. 

Broadband access an ongoing issue for Ohio counties

Since the connectivity summit held in Marietta (OH) last July, the plight of Appalachian broadband deserts has caught the attention of lawmakers in Washington D.C. “At this time the Citizen’s Connectivity Committee is particularly interested in four of the most recent bills,” noted Liz Shaw, organizer of the Appalachian Ohio-West Virginia Connectivity Summit and Town Hall held at Washington State Community College and Marietta High School in 2017.

Dividing the country won’t bridge the digital divide

[Commentary] [Democratic members of the House Commerce Committee's] infrastructure plan provides critical support for the next-generation communications networks. We are proposing to:

Solving the Rural Broadband Equation — Fund Infrastructure, Not Carriers.

When we think about solving the rural broadband problem, nearly everyone tries to answer the question: “How do I find a carrier to serve rural areas.” But that’s not actually the problem we’re trying to solve. The problem we’re actually trying to solve is getting people access to quality broadband so they can participate in the modern digital economy and modern society generally.