Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

May 8, 2026, marked one year since President Donald Trump terminated the grants made under the Digital Equity Act. The Digital Equity Act, part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), is a landmark piece of legislation that primed all 50 states and U.S. territories to implement programs to improve digital literacy, improve access to affordable internet-connected devices, provide technical support, and increase awareness of privacy and cybersecurity.

Inequity is not inevitable. It surfaces through rhetoric from leaders, personnel that mirror the values (or lack thereof) of said leaders, funding structures, policy implementation, and court decisions. In other words, inequity does not appear out of thin air. Inequity begins with an idea from someone’s imagination. It is only through power, resource allocation, and replication that an idea can take shape, gain traction, and impact lives.

A year ago today, President Trump abruptly “canceled” the Digital Equity Act (DEA) for being a “woke handout.” The DEA, created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, directed funding to states, territories, and community organizations to address the Digital Divide and ensure that everyone has internet-enabled devices, reliable internet service, and the skills needed to use broadband to improve their lives.

The loss of the Digital Equity Act impacted each of us differently. Some National Digital Inclusion Alliance affiliates had to scrap projects, others had to make hard staffing decisions and lay off staff, and some organizations have shuttered their doors. And yet, time and time again, our brilliant, amazing community of NDIA affiliates has demonstrated resilience and tenacity that humbles the NDIA team.

U.S. District Judge John Bates declined to pause litigation over the Trump administration's termination of up to $2.75 billion in digital literacy and upskilling grants, rejecting arguments that a parallel case could clarify key legal issues. The plaintiff representing affected grantees, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, moved on March 25 to stay the case, contending that a forthcoming decision in Climate United Fund v. Citibank could resolve overlapping jurisdictional questions and help avoid duplicative litigation.

The 2027 Budget builds on the President’s vision by continuing to constrain non-defense spending and reform the Federal Government.  The Budget proposes a 10-percent cut compared to 2026 non-defense levels.

A report from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) covers the progress of six broadband grant programs administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). As of October 31, 2025, over $46.2 billion in grants has been awarded to support expanding broadband infrastructure. This is an increase of $2.4 million (0.01 percent) since our last status report. The six broadband grant programs have received a total of nearly $50 billion in appropriations since December 2020.

The lawsuit over the Trump administration’s suspension of grants from the $2.75 billion program to close the digital divide may come to a pause. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) filed a motion to put its lawsuit suing President Donald Trump on hold because there is a similar case further along that would control the outcome. 

A lawsuit trying to restore funding under the Digital Equity Act is at a crossroads.  Lawyers for the Federal Government filed a motion to dismiss the National Digital Inclusion Alliance v Trump lawsuit on February 6, citing unconstitutionality of aspects of the Digital Equity Act, improper court jurisdiction, among other reasons. “Under the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause, race-based classifications are presumptively unconstitutional,” the motion states.

Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) delivered the keynote address at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society's Telecom at 30: Universal Service as the North Star event on March 5. In his remarks, Sen Markey highlighted three continuing gaps in universal service: broadband affordability, digital opportunity, and ensuring equal access to emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence. "The Telecommunications Act was grounded in a simple but powerful idea that communications policy should expand opportunity," said Sen Markey.