Category Archives: Digital Divide

Paul Bunyan Communications shares their plans for Lifeline Awareness Week (Sep 7-13, 2026)

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Paul Bunyan shares their plans for Lifeline Awareness Week…

Paul Bunyan Communications and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are promoting Lifeline Awareness Week, September 7-13.
Access to local emergency services and community resources is vital to all residents. Lifeline helps low-income consumers connect to the nation’s voice and broadband networks, find jobs, access health care services, connect with family and call for help in an emergency. For some, being connected can be the difference between social connection and complete isolation.
Paul Bunyan Communications wants residents to get and stay connected and promotes Lifeline throughout the year to raise awareness about the program that provides assistance to those who need voice and/or broadband services but can’t afford it. “Digital Connectivity and Lifeline Awareness Week,” September 7-13 is another opportunity to highlight this important assistance program.
“We promote the Lifeline program a lot because want to make sure all our membership and those who live within our service area know about it and the benefit it can provide. This program can help those struggling to afford Internet services get and stay connected” said Chad Bullock, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO.
Lifeline helps low-income consumers connect to the nation’s communications networks, find jobs, access health care services, connect with family and call for help in an emergency. Under the federal Lifeline program, low-income consumers who participate in certain public assistance programs, or qualify based on income can receive a discount of up to $9.25 per month off their monthly bill for broadband, or bundled phone and broadband service, up to $5.25 for voice-only service, and up to a total of $34.25 per month for residents of qualifying Tribal lands. More information on program eligibility and rules is available at http://www.lifelinesupport.org. An American Sign Language video on Lifeline is available at

GAO recommends FCC and NTIA work more closely with underserved areas and focus on sustainability

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The GAO (Government Accountability Office reports…

Federal agencies target funding to underserved areas using FCC mapping data showing which locations do and do not have broadband access, as reported by providers. To improve data accuracy, FCC accepts challenges from the public and makes updates if needed. Some program participants and stakeholders said this challenge process was burdensome and unclear. For example, challenging a
large number of locations in an area could be difficult for smaller communities and providers with limited resources. Without targeted outreach to smaller communities and providers to address such difficulties, FCC may not be able to obtain the most accurate information about broadband availability and therefore may not be able to effectively identify and target funding to underserved areas.
As one of the largest programs focused on broadband deployment GAO reviewed, BEAD holds great potential to make broadband available to areas that have been underserved. GAO has previously reported on issues providers face in high-cost areas, including financial sustainability. In October 2025, NTIA announced a requirement that BEAD providers certify that they will not accept federal funding from other sources for broadband deployment and operations costs for locations funded by BEAD for at least 10 years. This provision is intended to ensure that BEAD projects are financially self-sustainable without additional federal funding. NTIA’s BEAD documentation for states and territories states that there may be a basis for them to request certain data from providers. However, NTIA did not detail the circumstances that could warrant such a request. By providing more details, NTIA would help states anticipate potential
problems and prevent service lapses to underserved areas when providers cannot continue providing services due to financial issues.

Getting into specifics…

Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected – Federal Communications Commission
Recommendation – The Chair of FCC should conduct targeted outreach to smaller participants (such as local and tribal governments and providers), to identify and address difficulties they have experienced completing the bulk Broadband Data Collection challenge process. (Recommendation 1)

Agency Affected – National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Recommendation – The NTIA Administrator should provide information to NTIA’s partner states and territories on when and why to request additional information from BEAD subrecipients, to monitor and support their ability to remain financially sustainable in offering affordable broadband during the 10-year federal interest period. (Recommendation 2)

OPPORTUNITY: NDIA Trailblazer Applications Now Open!

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From the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)…

NDIA is now accepting applications for the 2026 Digital Inclusion Trailblazers! Trailblazers are municipal, county, or regional governments recognized by NDIA for paving the way for excellent digital inclusion work and providing models for digitally inclusive communities committed to advancing digital equity.

“Striving for the NDIA Trailblazer indicators has helped focus and uplift our digital inclusion efforts while providing a wealth of insights from other communities to learn from. This program and our recognition have sparked new momentum and partnerships for digital equity in South Bend.” Patrick McGuire, Technology Equity Manager, City of South Bend

Apply to be a 2026 Trailblazer

DIGIDAZE in St Paul aims to boost digital confidence for attendees

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KSTP reports…

Digital literacy takes center stage at St. Paul community fair amid statewide AI changes

Community members at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center attended DIGIDAZE on Saturday, a free community technology fair designed to boost digital confidence across St. Paul.

The event, presented by the Community Technology Empowerment Project (STEP), St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) and AmeriCorps, offered hands‑on activities, refurbished devices, raffles and one‑on‑one help with computers, smartphones and online tools.

“Our goal is to bridge the digital gap,” said Dasiyah Franklin‑Carter, event co-organizer. She said digital literacy is becoming essential for families navigating schoolwork, job applications and everyday communication.

“I want people to leave with more confidence with using technology,” she said.

85% of subscribers would lose service entirely without the Lifeline benefit

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The National Lifeline Association reports…

The National Lifeline Association (NaLA) is proud to release the results of our 2026 Annual Subscriber Survey. With over 83,000 responses across 20 detailed questions, this year’s data confirms a critical reality: for low-income Americans, the Lifeline program is not merely a discount—it is essential access infrastructure.

Why Lifeline Matters

As regulators and lawmakers evaluate the future of the Universal Service Fund, our survey data provides a clear picture of how Lifeline empowers households by bridging the digital divide.

Key Findings: How Subscribers Use Lifeline

Lifeline provides the connectivity necessary to improve life outcomes and access vital services:

  • Healthcare Access: 66% of subscribers use their service for telehealth appointments (phone/video) and to order medication.
  • Staying Connected: 81% rely on the service to maintain connections with family and friends.
  • Employment: 37% utilize the service for work-related activities, including working from home, applying for jobs, and managing shifts.
  • Education: 30% leverage the connection for educational purposes, such as online classes, training, and schoolwork for children.

The Reality of Affordability

Affordability remains the primary barrier to sustainable internet access.

  • 96% of subscribers report that they cannot afford any monthly service fee.
  • 85% of subscribers would lose service entirely without the Lifeline benefit, as they cannot pay the full, undiscounted price.
  • For those without home internet, the monthly bill is the most frequently cited barrier—outranking both availability and awareness.

A Mobility-First Requirement

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 Path Forward

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. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of subscribers report limiting their data use every month to avoid exhausting their allotment.

Connecting digital navigators with financial literacy skills helps build financial well-being

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Fed Communities reports...

Digital access, which is a household’s ability to fully participate in the modern economy through the use of digital technologies, is an important facet of community well-being. Digital access is essential to connecting families to broader socioeconomic opportunities, but it depends on four dimensions: the availability of providers, the speed and quality of internet service, the affordability of services, and the digital skills of the user. Research by the New York Fed has shown that rural populations, LMI communities, tribal communities, and aging populations are the least likely to live in a neighborhood with access to three or more providers offering speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps (download data at 100 megabits per second and upload data at 20 megabits per second).

Other research shows that the affordability of a broadband connection can be another barrier to internet access for LMI [Low- and moderate-income] households. LMI communities pay a notably higher share of their income for broadband and are more likely to use slower or lower-quality plans. In areas with the least affordable broadband, 26.7 percent of households rely solely on mobile devices. Although mobile access suffices for everyday banking and initial job searches, the lack of a computer and broadband restricts participation in resume building, online education, remote professional work, and long-term financial management.

The article goes on to talk about the need to connect digital navigators and financial technology and skills…

  1. Awareness: Many people working in digital inclusion don’t know about financial access tools and resources like Bank On certified accounts.
  2. Navigation capacity: Staff often aren’t trained to help with both digital and financial needs. Lockett said, “A digital navigator knows how to help someone set up an email account or apply for broadband subsidies. They may not know how to help that same person open a Bank On certified account, understand a credit report, or access mobile banking safely.”
  3. Supportive handoffs: When organizations refer people to each other, it is often a quick handoff without ongoing support. Lockett explained, “What’s needed is a trusted navigator model that maintains continuity throughout both the digital and financial access journey, rather than handing someone off and trusting things will work out.”

 

Is it AI or is it art? And how do we differentiate? The Walker is looking into it

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MPR News covers a story about art gallery patrons accusing art of being “AI slop” and The Walker figuring out what to do with that. It’s a teachable moment for everyone involved – with teachers and learners writing the curriculum in real time…

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is adding new explanatory language to an exhibition after visitors mistook an artist’s digitally rendered work for generative AI.

Joe Dobrow recently took his two children to the Walker. They wandered from exhibition to exhibition, eventually settling in front of a screen in a dark hallway.

The screen was looping the 2026 video “Field Recordings” by artist Olalekan Jeyifous. It is the first solo museum exhibition for the New York-based artist who is known for his immersive speculative world-building artworks. The video features realistically animated people in leafy riverine settings, sometimes in groups, sometimes with deer, sometimes tinkering with what seem like remnants of analog technology.

“My kids were fairly intrigued with it,” Dobrow said, but “it seemed to me to be almost entirely AI slop.”

Part of the solution…

The Walker, along with the rest of the museum world, is grappling with how to develop policy about the display and disclosure of AI-generated or AI-assisted art. “We are in the process of developing one,” she said.

Jasper and Huldisch said the new explanatory language for the exhibition will be installed this week.

“I recognize that AI usage raises very real ethical questions, and I understand why people want transparency around it,” Jeyifous said. “The difficulty right now is that we don’t have much nuance in the language to describe it. Saying that AI was utilized somewhere in a process can very quickly become perceived as ‘this artwork was entirely AI-generated,’ even when those are fundamentally different things. Disclosure can provide useful context, but it can also unintentionally become the lens through which the entire work is understood, regardless of how marginal that tool was to its production.”

RESEARCH: To what extent does community-level broadband connectivity reduce the time individuals spend waiting for goods and services?

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There is an interesting scholarly article (Time poverty, waiting, and broadband adoption: Evidence from the US by gender and income) on the impact of broadband access on people’s discretionary time. In a nod to time-saving, I tried to think of the most efficient way to share the information and focus on broadband access while flagging other related topics in the article.

Here’s the promise of the research, in bullet points…

  • Time poverty, or the lack of time to invest in discretionary activities aimed at maintaining one’s physical or mental well-being, has long been a human concern (Kalenkoski & Hamrick, 2013; Vickery, 1977).
  • We examine waiting time because, differently from time devoted to other activities, which may reflect personal preferences, waiting time is almost universally disliked and has no intrinsic benefit (Holt & Vinopal, 2023; Schwartz, 1974).
  • Through this lens, high-speed broadband connections constitute a critical first step in efforts to expand communities’ access to goods and services, minimize waiting, and free up time for more fulfilling activities (Turner & Grieco, 2000).
  • Our analysis finds a significant association between living in counties with higher broadband adoption levels and reduced time spent waiting for goods and services. The effect is particularly pronounced among women, who are disproportionately responsible for time-intensive, unpaid household labor (Brenan, 2020). Yet, we also suggest that complementary policy interventions may be necessary to mitigate time disparities across socio-economic lines.

And a look at ROI (when return in time) from a government/citizen perspective…

Addressing waiting-based inefficiencies calls for targeted solutions, and broadband and digital technologies offer one. To this extent, tax return–free filing programs that integrate administrative data could save Americans an estimated 225 million hours annually, while online voter registration cuts administrative burdens and boosts turnout by reducing long heavy processes (Goolsbee, 2006; Herd & Moynihan, 2018). Similarly, remote work saves the average person 72 min of commuting each day, allowing individuals to reallocate time to leisure and caregiving (Aksoy et al., 2023).

Yet, these time-saving gains hinge on both the provision of digital services online and citizens being able to take advantage of those through reliable internet connections (Mossberger et al., 2022). Consequently, broadband operates as the foundational infrastructure enabling both the delivery and use of digital services. In other words, lacking broadband, citizens, businesses, and governments cannot effectively use online services while digital service provision becomes impractical.

Recognizing this, federal and state policymakers in the United States have invested significantly in digital infrastructure – most notably through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the American Rescue Plan Act – to extend broadband to every household. These place-based strategies reflect a growing understanding that broadband is not just a technological solution, but a foundational element of equitable service delivery and local development. As such, we argue that, similarly to other place-based characteristics, broadband adoption can shape individual outcomes through institutions, resources, and community dynamics (Chyn & Katz, 2021)

And their hypotheses:

  • As broadband subscriptions increase within a county, the amount of time residents spend waiting for goods and services decreases.
  • The negative relationship between county-level broadband adoption and waiting times is stronger among women than among men.
  • The negative relationship between county-level broadband adoption and waiting times is stronger among low-income individuals than among higher-income individuals.
  • The negative relationship between county-level broadband adoption and waiting times is strongest among low-income women.

Understanding the privacy and security implications of interacting with AI

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Axios has a series that I think is helpful to share with folks around you to help them recognize and understand various features of AI. You can bring it up at your next family picnic or share with friends and family as a reminder about the importance of online privacy…

Imagine a chatbot built to keep you talking a little longer. To change your mind about something. Or persuade you to buy something.

  • Now imagine it could draw on everything it knows about you — including the fears, insecurities and private details you shared in conversation — to do it.

Why it matters: Few rules directly govern that scenario today, making AI companies’ promises about how they use consumer data especially consequential.

The big picture: In the first installment of Axios’ “What they know about you” series, published in 2019, we examined the information major tech companies collected about their users. In 2024, we followed up with a look at what consumer data AI companies use to train their systems.

  • This new series revisits those questions — and widens the lens. We’ll examine not only whether a company uses consumer data to train future AI models, but also how it can use that data now: to personalize responses, retain a memory, recommend content or target advertising.

Minnesota teen speaks about experience creating a national artificial intelligence policy

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MPR interviewed a student who was part of a national group creating a national artificial intelligence policy. It is a great look at what’s happening with AI and the views of schools and youth on using AI. It’s a reminder of the importance of digital literacy. Here’s a description of the interview, you can listen to it online…

This upcoming school year, districts across the country have a new tool they can use: A national artificial intelligence policy. It was created in July by 98 teens, representing all 50 states.

They gathered in Boston for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Day of AI, created a mock senate and drafted and passed their own legislation that helps schools navigate artificial intelligence. Representing Minnesota were students and staff from St. Cloud.

St. Cloud Tech High School student Bihmanji Acho and Principal Molly Kensy joined Minnesota Now to share more about the experience.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

EVENT Sepr 16, 2026: AI Skills Jam for Older Adults: Twin Cities, MN

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Apparently, there’s a one-day event happening in 10 cities across the country on September 16. (Including the Twin Cies.) Senior Planet and OpenAI Academy are teaming up to put on an: AI Skills Jams for Older Adults, to offer hands-on events designed to help older adults learn how to use ChatGPT confidently, safely, and practically. 

Here’s more info on the session in the Twin Cities…

Please join us on September 16th for a free, in-person learning experience designed to help older adults use ChatGPT confidently, safely, and practically. This workshop is hosted by OpenAI Academy in collaboration with Senior Planet from AARP and Senior Community Services.

  1. Date: September 16
  2. Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm CT (optional Q&A and practice time until 1:00pm)
  3. Location: The Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center

What is the AI Skills Jam for Older Adults?

The AI Skills Jam for Older Adults is a nationwide, hands-on workshop that helps older adults move from curiosity to practical use. Attendees will be guided through instructions, explore everyday use cases, build skills with support from mentors, and leave with resources for continued learning.

Why attend?

  1. Free stuff! Attendance to the Jam is free. We’ll provide breakfast, OpenAI swag, 12 months free of ChatGPT Plus, and we’ll send you home with a tasty sweet treat.
  2. Hands-on practice: Join us to learn how to use ChatGPT and get hands-on practice in a safe learning environment.
  3. Beginners welcome: No coding or technical background required. Participants will get a guided introduction to ChatGPT.
  4. Learn from mentors and peers: Get support from trained OpenAI facilitators and mentors, and learn alongside peers in your community.

How to Register:

Registration takes ~5 minutes: Please click the blue “Register” button on the right to complete the form. Need help? Call the Senior Planet from AARP hotline at 888-713-3495 (MON-FRI 9am-8pm / SAT 9am-2pm ET) to register by phone, or reach out to us via email at jam@openai.com.

We can’t wait to learn and jam with you!

Register!

 

Doug Dawson on reasons to support Public WiFi

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Doug Dawson reports on the POTS and PANS blog…

One of the most interesting positive things that came out of the COVID pandemic was that communities and organizations across the country deployed public WiFi hotspots. This was done at the time to support students and workers who were expected to find a way to work remotely. And this worked well in a lot of places, and I’ve talked to communities who said the public flocked to the free WiFi during the pandemic.

There was another benefit of the free hot spots – they created places where people who couldn’t afford broadband suddenly had a place to access the Internet. This number of people varies by community, but the nationwide numbers suggest that around 14% of homes don’t have a home broadband solution, and as many as 80% of those folks say they would buy a home broadband solution if they could afford it.

As I wrote about in a recent blog, the number of homes without broadband is unfortunately growing due to affordability issues related to the other increasing costs of daily life like rent, food, health care, and transportation. An increasing number of homes are finding it harder to maintain their broadband connection. Several ISPs have told me about a growing number of broadband customers that regularly disconnect and then reconnect broadband during the year depending on their ability to pay the bill.

The post goes on to talk about aspects of providing public WiFi to the community.

Event Aug 19: #Building for Digital Equity MLK “Dream” Speech Edition

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From NDIA (National Digital Inclusion Alliance) and Institute for Local Self Reliance…

On Wednesday, August 19, just eight days before the anniversary of King’s speech, the on-going webinar series returns to pose a pointed question to the digital inclusion community: what is our dream for digital equity — and what kind of ecosystems do we need to, at last, build a “Beloved (connected) Community?”

 

Co-hosted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance Community Broadband Networks Initiative and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), the live-streamed webinar — “Normalcy, Never Again” — takes its name from the spirit of King’s August 28, 1963 address and will serve as a rallying point to reaffirm that the digital equity movement will not accept business as usual or be managed into irrelevance.

Sponsored once again by UTOPIA Fiber, the B4DE livestream is slated for August 19th at 3 p.m. ET and will bring together national policy experts, local leaders, and community advocates working in the trenches of digital inclusion. 

Registration is now open above

The livestream will be available (and later archived) onFacebook,YouTube, andLinkedIn with live viewer questions answered by the invited speakers and presenters, which is still being finalized. We will also be live posting from the Community Broadband NetworksBluesky page.

Register online.

“AI relies on access to broadband connectivity” and that’s an issue in remote areas

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The following video doesn’t come from Minnesota. It is from the Indigenous Artificial Intelligence Gathering at the Mila Institute in Montreal, and they are talking about broadband being the barrier to accessing AI in Nunavut and other remote areas. I thought it might speak to some readers, who are experiencing the lack of broadband.

Doug Dawson looks at predicted drops in broadband subscriptions

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Doug Dawson from CCG Consulting writes…

A year ago, John Horrigan wrote an article for the Benton Foundation that predicted that as many as 5.6 million households would drop their home broadband connection due to the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill. He based that assessment on the changes that the OBBB will make to federal programs that benefit low-income families.

He writes about household circumstance changes since that prediction that might impact the outcome and ends by talking about the broadband industry aspect of it…

Horrigan’s prediction may not fully come to pass because there is a middle-ground to abandoning broadband. Earlier this year, I worked with two ISPs that serve areas that are primarily low-income. Both ISPs told me that they are experiencing a big increase in a new kind of churn – customers that temporarily drop broadband because they can’t afford it, but who then resubscribe a few months later when they’ve scraped together enough money to buy broadband again.

The other thing that a cost squeeze does is to drive homes to look for broadband alternatives. I think that people in this category are the ones dropping cable companies and going to FWA broadband and other less expensive options. Unfortunately for families in this position, lower monthly rates typically mean slower speeds and less reliable broadband performance. A lot of low-income families have stayed with DSL for years because it was the least costly option in cities. However, in recent years, the big telcos have increased the cost of DSL to be the same price as fiber to get people off the copper network – but these higher prices are often too high for too many homes with low incomes.

There is a nationwide consensus that we are all better off when most families have broadband and can partake in the many benefits broadband brings to a household. If we don’t somehow change the current path we are on, I think Horrigan’s estimate of 5.6 million households that drop broadband will be far too low.