The gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those with very limited or no access at all.
Digital Divide
What the NTIA's Requirements for $42.5 Billion in BEAD Funding Say About Digital Equity
This is the third in a four-part series about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) digital equity and broadband grant Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) has identified how the BEAD Program will intersect with the Digital Equity Act Program and how the two complement each other:
The First Bucket of Digital Equity Act Funds is Open
This is the second in a four-part series about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) digital equity and broadband grant Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Sifting through the Digital Equity Act (DEA) NOFO, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) identified the following highlights:
Notice of Funding Opportunity: Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Notice of Funding Opportunity: Middle Mile Grant Program
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant (MMG) Program. The MMG Program provides funding for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure. The purpose of the grant program is to expand and extend middle mile infrastructure to reduce the cost of connecting areas that are unserved or underserved to the internet backbone.
Notice of Funding Opportunity: State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program
The subject of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)—the $60 million State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program—is part of the Digital Equity Act’s larger State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, the purpose of which is to promote the achievement of digital equity, support digital inclusion activities, and build capacity for efforts by States relating to the adoption of broadband by residents of those States.
Wyoming poised to pursue federal Infrastructure Act money
The State of Wyoming is preparing for a deluge of federal money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill will send $1.2 trillion out to more than 375 federal programs, Gov Mark Gordon (R-WY)’s senior advisor Rob Creager said. Forty percent of that money will be distributed via competitive grants, Creager said.
Diving into Digital Equity: Lessons from Focus Groups
Low-income Americans are discerning broadband consumers who are well-attuned to the nuances of service plans, in the midst of dealing with internet service bills that are often a burden on their household budgets. The indispensability of internet access—a need the pandemic has underscored—places service quality next to affordability in the minds of low-income consumers.
Biden-Harris Administration Launches $45 Billion “Internet for All” Initiative to Bring Affordable, Reliable High-Speed Internet to Everyone in America
The Biden-Harris Administration is launching the Internet for All initiative, which will invest $45 billion to provide affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for everyone in America by the end of the decade.
FCC, NTIA, USDA, Treasury Announce Broadband Info Sharing Agreement
The Federal Communications Commission, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and the US Department of the Treasury announced an interagency agreement to share information about and collaborate regarding the collection and reporting of certain data and metrics relating to broadband deployment.
How Public Input Helped Shape NTIA’s High-Speed Internet Grant Programs Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
On January 7, 2022, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration requested public comment on a wide range of policy and program considerations associated with the new high-speed internet grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). NTIA received 557 thoughtful and informative written responses from state and local governments, non-profit and community-based organizations, schools, internet service providers, industry associations and individuals.