Marginalized populations are those excluded from mainstream social, economic, educational, and/or cultural life. Examples of marginalized populations include, but are not limited to, groups excluded due to race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, language, and/or immigration status.
(August 19, 2022)
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 includes a historic investment of $65 billion to help close the digital divide and ensure that everyone in America has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for distributing more than $48 billion in funding through several different programs.
This paper examines the association between Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) awards, disability, and technology access. The paper found that:
On behalf of Color Of Change, one of the nation’s leading racial justice organizations with millions of members nationwide, and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 230 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States, we write to express our complete support for [Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate] Gigi Sohn’s nomination to serve as Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner.
The Federal Communications Commission is an important institution. It oversees a huge input to our information economy: Spectrum. Fortunately, three decades ago, we developed a method for allocating spectrum that has garnered bipartisan praise, been copied around the world, underlaid two Nobel prizes, and is arguably the most successful communications policy innovation ever. Unfortunately, Congress can’t decide how to reauthorize that auction authority. Congressional dysfunction? Alas, not weird. The stakes are high: billions in investment capital, 10x more in economic impact.
Three things we are doing at the Federal Communications Commission right now to help get us to the next generation of innovation around the globe.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which includes the Digital Equity Act of 2021 (DEA), establishes a broad framework and significant funding to advance broadband connectivity and digital equity. The law recognizes key factors and populations to address when striving for digital equity. To fully realize the full benefits of digital technology for individuals, communities, and society at large additional insights are needed. The Digital Opportunities Compass is an holistic framework for broadband and digital equity planning, implementation and evaluation.
One of the biggest speed bumps on the road to solving climate change is reducing the mining and burning of coal.
The Alaskan landscape is rife with broadband accessibility and deployment challenges, which GCI is all too familiar with.
Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) highlighted the impact of American Rescue Plan Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act investments to date while announcing new milestones in the effort to increase access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet and close the digital divide including:
Cable broadband providers told the Federal Communications Commission that preventing digital discrimination in the provision of broadband services is a laudable goal but that they already offer equal access to high-speed service, and the proof is in the data. The FCC asked how it could “prevent internet providers from engaging in digital discrimination,” which suggests there is a problem that needs fixing. NCTA-the Internet & Television Association said that both FCC and census data make it clear that “cable broadband networks are available across providers’ service areas to homes and b
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