Digital Equity/Digital Inclusion

Regional innovation competitiveness relies not only on research, but on the effective deployment of technologies, proving that ideas can work beyond the lab. But in order to deploy technologies and scale economic growth, coalitions must tell a compelling story to funders about why investment in their communities is worthwhile. In this research paper, US Ignite, through the Supporting U.S.

A federal judge in July gave digital equity advocates a partial victory against President Donald Trump, stopping his attempt to unilaterally kill a multibillion-dollar grant program Congress created. But U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, in a 35-page opinion, also agreed with the administration that it was unconstitutional for the government to use race or ethnicity as the basis to award money under a program created to expand internet skills and access.

Imagine a world where digital equity is viewed as a fundamental municipal obligation, standing alongside public safety, housing, and transportation. What if city and county leaders used their local knowledge to dismantle the greatest barriers to connectivity and digital literacy? Picture local governments leveraging their convening power to partner with libraries, non-profits, schools, and businesses to spark new digital opportunities.

The United States is a global technology leader, yet millions of Americans lack the internet access, devices, or skills to benefit from its technological capabilities or participate fully in the digital economy. Recognizing this divide in 2021, Congress passed the largest federal investment in broadband in U.S.

For Headlines readers who got nervous for me this morning, I’m fine, but… After five years, today is my last day working at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. When I was in college, one of my professors told me to subscribe to a newsletter, Benton’s Daily Digest (or “Headlines,” to me and to many). I thought it was crazy that such a comprehensive resource was published each morning, five days a week. Less than a year later, it became my job to put Headlines together every day.

If the character Edward Cullen of the ubiquitous Twilight saga taught us anything (aside from the fact that Robert Pattinson’s hair can do no wrong), it is that being a heretic can be cool. In the series, the Volturi—the Vampiric Council—operates as an authoritative government dictating the terms of vampire life: encouraging slaughter of humans, forbidding certain romance, and eventually seeking the destruction of Edward and Bella’s baby. Cullen went against these vampire norms to protect his loved ones, doing so in a way that made many hearts flutter.

Earlier this month, we reported that the Department of Commerce told a federal court it would reinstate the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and was targeting a December 2026 opening. Three things have happened since. The parties agreed to pause the litigation and put their remaining disagreements on the record. Judge John D. Bates set the dates by which the government must report its progress.

For low-income Americans, the Lifeline program is not merely a discount—it is essential access infrastructure. With 91% of subscribers preferring mobile wireless service with hotspot capability over fixed broadband, it is clear that mobility is a functional requirement, not a preference, for this population. The current benefit level supports incremental use but falls short of providing the sustained connectivity needed for full, consistent access to telehealth, remote work, and coursework.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) published a public notice on August 25 seeking public comment on the application forms it will use for a revived Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, the first public confirmation that work on the program's relaunch is underway. The notice opens a 60-day comment period under the Paperwork Reduction Act, with comments due October 26, 2026, and is a revision of an existing clearance (OMB Control Number 0660–0055) rather than a new one.

In a joint status report filed August 17, 2026, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and the U.S.