Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

Maine’s congressional delegation is urging the Commerce Department to reverse its freeze of nearly $35 million in grant funding intended to expand digital access for low-income and rural Mainers. In a letter sent to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and acting Administrator Adam Cassady, the delegation noted that Maine is among the most rural states in the country, leaving its residents particularly vulnerable. “Maine is especially affected by this decision, which will have an outsized impact on Maine families, small businesses and communities.

President Trump announced by tweet (or whatever it is they do on Truth Social) that he was somehow “ending” the Digital Equity Act, calling it “UNCONSTITUTIONAL” and “ILLEGAL.” The next day, letters were sent to states and awardees across the country terminating their grants. And so, just like that, nearly $3 billion in funding and years of work came to a halt. So, what are we going to do about it? When President Trump illegally and unconstitutionally attempted to end the Digital Equity Act, I became angry. Really, really angry. Is anybody else in this room angry?

Within days of President Donald Trump announcing on social media that he was ending the federal digital equity grant program, it looks to be consigned to history.

A $6 million grant through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration had been intended to help expand broadband access in rural and underserved communities, extend free public Wi-Fi and improve access to remote learning and telehealth services.

In early May, following months of silence and confusion, the Trump administration abruptly cancelled Digital Equity Act programs—the US’s biggest investment in providing Americans with the tools and skills they need to reap the benefits of accessing the internet.

On Friday, May 9, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration terminated North Carolina’s $22.4 million Digital Equity Capacity grant. Without this funding, the North Carolina Department of Information Technology is not able to move forward with the $17 million Digital Opportunity Grant program, which would have expanded North Carolinians’ access to digital devices, help desk and technical support, as well as digital skills and online safety programs.

Education and technology leaders weighed in on what the elimination of Digital Equity Act funds means for students, teachers, and the nation as a whole. Amy Loyd, CEO of the nonprofit All4Ed and former assistant secretary of the U.S.

On Friday, May 9, 2025, the Trump Administration began notifying states that their Digital Equity Act Capacity Grant funds were terminated. The day prior, President Donald Trump shared via Truth Social that he and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are determined to bring an end to the Digital Equity Act and its “unconstitutional” and “illegal” programs. In 2021, Congress included the Digital Equity Act in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to give U.S.

President Donald Trump called a Biden-era law to expand high-speed internet access "racist" and "illegal." We asked the White House and federal departments involved in the program for evidence to support Trump’s statement and received no reply.

Jade Piros de Carvalho discusses the cascading impact of President Trump’s decision to cancel the Digital Equity Act. This sudden move threatens not just digital inclusion programs, but the very foundation of state broadband offices—and by extension, the success of the $42.5 billion BEAD infrastructure program. With broadband office funding models built on a delicate web of interconnected federal grants, Piros de Carvalho explains why pulling one thread puts everything at risk.