- States Awarded Federal Funding
- Massachusetts Invests in Digital Skills Training
- Scranton to Establish Universal Internet Access
- Program Values Storytelling in Digital Equity Work
- FCC Program to Expand Tribal E-Rate Participation
STATES AWARDED FEDERAL FUNDING
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has begun approving states’ applications for Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding.
The initiative is one of three grant programs established through the Digital Equity Act. Through it, about $760 million will be made available to 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, about $45 million will be made available to Native American entities, and about $8.4 million will be made available to the following U.S. territories: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
States will use the funding they are awarded to implement their digital equity plans. The awards include $70 million for California, $9 million for Connecticut, $22 million for Georgia, $14 million for Indiana, $12 million for Minnesota, and $8 million for New Mexico.
“This injection of federal funding will jump-start local efforts to provide older adults, schoolchildren and underserved communities with the devices, digital skills training and essential resources to succeed in the 21st-century economy,” California Congresswoman Doris Matsui said in a statement.
NTIA will continue announcing awards from this first round of state Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding on a rolling basis.
The launch of this program follows several other federal efforts, including the recent approvals of initial proposals for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funding for 49 out of 50 states — with only Texas remaining — and the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, through which NTIA began awarding $60 million in funding to states and territories in 2022.
All of this work is made possible through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which invests $65 billion to ensure every American has reliable access to high-speed Internet.
MASSACHUSETTS INVESTS IN DIGITAL SKILLS TRAINING
In state news, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is awarding $1.33 million to support 19 cities in their work to hire digital experts, engage with residents and expand access to Internet-enabled devices.
The projects, supported by the Municipal Digital Equity Implementation Program, will focus on expanding staff capacity, Wi-Fi access, device access and digital literacy, as well as modernizing public spaces; providing connectivity for those facing economic hardship; and supporting education, outreach and adoption.
“Local governments understand the challenges that their communities face, so it’s important that we work with them to collect accurate data and identify the needs of underserved residents,” MBI Director Michael Baldino said in a statement.
SCRANTON TO ESTABLISH UNIVERSAL INTERNET ACCESS
In local news, the city of Scranton, Pa., has partnered with Verizon to develop a universal network of fiber Internet to connect all Scranton residents over the next three years.
The project will be free to the city because Verizon is covering the cost. The initiative officially began in October 2023 with a request for qualifications process, during which Verizon was selected from four vendors. The agreement was approved by the City Council in September.
As part of the agreement, Verizon must either participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program, any successor program or its own low-cost program for eligible households.
PROGRAM VALUES STORYTELLING IN DIGITAL EQUITY WORK
In other local news, at the county level, Cook County, Ill., has launched the Cook County Digital Equity IMPACT Small Grants Program. Funded with $187,500 provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, it will support community organizations with grants ranging from $7,500 to $15,000.
The program emphasizes the power of storytelling in digital inclusion, and to facilitate it, the county partnered with nonprofit journalism lab City Bureau to support organizations as they tell their stories.
“Through the Digital Equity IMPACT Small Grants Program, we aim to elevate voices that have historically been marginalized in the digital narrative,” Kyla Williams Tate, director of digital equity for the Cook County Office of the President, said in a statement.
FCC PROGRAM TO EXPAND TRIBAL E-RATE PARTICIPATION
This week has also seen digital equity news for tribal governments in the U.S., with the launch of the Tribal Library E-Rate Advocacy Program (T-LEAP).
On Tuesday, Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), spoke at the National Congress of American Indians Annual Convention. During her remarks, she announced the creation of T-LEAP. This permanent program enables tribal libraries to sign up for assistance in learning about, and applying for, the E-rate program.
E-rate is an FCC endeavor that makes telecommunications and information services more affordable for schools and libraries; the FCC has been pushing for greater tribal participation in the program, and T-LEAP will expand access and support for the application process.
Tribal libraries can sign up for T-LEAP now online.
