Category Archives: Digital Divide

EVENT July 1: Wired for Freedom: Digital Access and the American Dream

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Looks like an interesting event...

Days before Independence Day, the virtual gathering – slated for July 1 from 3 to 4:15 pm ET – will be centered around the theme: “Wired for Freedom: Digital Access and the American Dream.”
The agenda is shaped up to offer attendees new battlefield intelligence and how community-centered organizations and coalitions are carrying on in the face of vital funding and programming cuts. Speakers include Amy Huffman, Monica Gonzalez, Tony Batalla, Alisa Valentin, Ph.D., Autumn Evans, Patrick Messac, and more!

You can register for the event above.

As with the previous #B4DE events, the March live stream will once again be sponsored by UTOPIA Fiber and co-hosted by NDIA and ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative.

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn, connect, and make a difference as digital equity advocates across the nation are leveraging historic federal investments in the expansion of broadband access and adoption.

The livestream will be available (and later archived) on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn 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 Networks Bluesky page.

Supreme Court finds Universal Service Fund contribution scheme and management were Constitutional

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Broadband Breakfast reports...

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned a Fifth Circuit decision that found the $9 billion-per-year Universal Service Fund unconstitutional.

The Federal Communications Commission program supports rural broadband networks, plus internet discounts for low-income households, schools and libraries and healthcare centers. It’s been funded since the 1990s by fees on interstate voice revenue, with the accounting work delegated to the Universal Service Administrative Company, which the FCC set up for the purpose.

Conservative nonprofit Consumers’ Research had alleged the fund was unconstitutional, arguing Congress didn’t put enough guardrails on the FCC’s ability to collect fees as part of the fund, and that the agency improperly delegated authority to USAC. The Fifth Circuit had ruled the combination of the two illegally took taxing power away from the legislature.

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society on the impact of policy and broadband adoption

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society talks about the impact of policy and broadband adoption…

To improve broadband adoption, future growth will have to come from the same population segments that experienced adoption growth upon the pandemic’s onset. They are the segments where significant connectivity gaps remain—and thus are the most promising for attracting new subscriptions.

The takeaways for policymakers and other stakeholders are:

  • Non-deployment issues loom large in rural broadband adoption. Sizable rural broadband gaps across all income categories show how network availability gaps depress rural adoption. But low-income rural residents are far less likely to subscribe to broadband than upper-income rural households. Addressing nondeployment considerations, such as service affordability and the availability of digital skills training, needs to be part of any solution for rural broadband adoption.
  • Older adults are a promising source of future growth. More than one in five adults in the United States are over the age of 65. That age group—and, especially, the 75-and-older subgroup—has experienced strong growth in home wireline adoption in recent years, as well as large increases in subscriptions to wireless data plans. Maintaining these patterns will require not just addressing affordability but also ensuring that this population has access to digital skills training programs and community “help desks” for troubleshooting online challenges.
  • The ACP’s fingerprints are evident in recent broadband trends. This report’s analysis of ACS data shows positive changes in broadband adoption in the same places and economic groups in which recent Benton Institute research found the largest impact, namely in rural areas and among low-income households.

Losing Digital Equity Act funding will impact Minnesota

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MinnPost reports on the impact of losing Digital Equity Act funding in Minnesota…

Continuing his crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, President Donald Trump announced he was shutting down the Digital Equity Act in May. He took to his Truth Social social media platform to accuse the bipartisan legislation passed in 2021, designed to steer grant funding to organizations working to bridge digital divides, of giving out “woke handouts based on race.”

Two projects were awarded funding in Minnesota…

Before Trump took office, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) selected a bevy of applicants for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program in early January. The page has since been pulled down but remains viewable using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

Two Minnesota-based organizations made the cut:

  • Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system — $7.3 million

Consisting of 26 colleges and seven universities, most of the campuses in Greater Minnesota, the system received notice of its grant award from NTIA on Dec. 31, 2024. NTIA’s description of the system’s project in January detailed plans for digital literacy expansion and instruction in college curriculum, training, digital navigation services, device distribution, and vouchers to connect people to internet service.

The higher education system received another notice on May 20 that its award had been terminated, stated Noelle Hawton, chief marketing and communications officer, in an email. No funds were received.

  • Hmong American Partnership — $7.3 million

The St. Paul-based Hmong American Partnership (HAP) partnered with California’s Fresno Center to apply for Digital Equity Act grant funding last fall. They proposed using the funds to build permanent digital hubs, spaces where members of the Hmong communities in Minnesota and California could access the internet and receive digital skills training. There would’ve been four hubs in total located at a HAP office in St. Paul, two charter schools in St. Paul and one at the Fresno Center.

That funding was pulled…

A brief email arrived from NTIA in May confirming that the $7.3 million in funding was no more. “Everyone was very disappointed to say the least,” Thao said. The program’s demise seems tied to the administration’s anti-DEI push, she added. Her organization specifically outlined plans for closing digital divides within Southeast Asian communities in its application.

A $500,000 grant from the state for the project offered some consolation. To see the work through, HAP will otherwise need to raise funds on its own. “We’re disappointed,” Thao said. “We’re discouraged, but the work will continue.”

For Thao’s organization, digital equity work is about preventing people from being left behind by technology. Not knowing how to use a computer, or not having broadband access, disconnects them from the modern world. Programs and resources available to them at the local, state and federal levels, Thao noted, also become harder to access.

The rural areas are most in need of broadband support…

A report prepared by Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development in 2023, a Digital Equity Act requirement at the time, stated about 67% households in Greater Minnesota have broadband subscriptions, compared to nearly 92% of households in the Twin Cities metro.

Minnesota’s first grant recipients through the program weren’t rural-focused projects, but future rounds could’ve been.

OPPORTUNITY: Net Inclusion 2026 Call for Proposals

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An invitation from the NDIA…

NDIA is excited to announce the Net Inclusion 2026 Call for Proposals for Breakout Sessions and Workshops! It will be held February 3-5 in beautiful Chicago, IL, at the Sheraton Grand Riverwalk.

Net Inclusion 2025 in Gila River Indian Community offered 37 breakout sessions and 10 workshops and, most importantly, 240 diverse speakers sharing their expertise, innovative concepts, and digital inclusion programs. Speakers came from across the country, with many from your local communities.

We recognize the incredible work happening nationally in the field of digital equity and inclusion and invite you to share it with the NDIA community. If you wish to submit a session or workshop idea or if you’d like to be a speaker at Net Inclusion but don’t have the bandwidth to submit a session, you can do that in the same form.

Key dates and links:

  • Monday, June 16 – Breakout Sessions and Workshop Proposals Open
  • Thursday, June 26  – Information Session: Registration Link (recorded)
  • August 25  – Breakout Sessions and Workshop Proposal Closes
  • October 15 – Notifications sent out

NI2026 Breakout Session Proposal Link

NI2026 Workshop Proposal Link

FAQ Link

Register to attend the Call for Proposals Information Session on June 26 at 11:00 am Pacific/2:00 pm Eastern. Registration is required.

States, including Minnesota, talk about impact of BEAD uncertainty

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Statescoop reports…

n the face of looming changes to the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, and headwinds created by uncertainty, several state broadband chiefs said their offices are cautiously moving ahead in their planning.

At the Fiber Broadband Association’s FiberConnect conference in Nashville this week, several state broadband chiefs shared both their frustration and trepidation regarding anticipated changes to the $42.45 billion program. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in March announced intentions to “revamp” the program, including “to cut government red tape that slows down infrastructure construction.” Lutnick also signaled his intention to remove the program’s “fiber first” stipulation, which would allow states to give more of their BEAD funding to alternative technology providers, such as satellite internet service providers — a move some states are also pushing for.

However, in some states, these yet-to-be-seen changes have had the opposite of Lutnick’s intended effect to speed things along. Some state broadband leaders said the uncertainty has forced them to slow down their BEAD projects. And, while the states were expecting these changes to be released by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration last month, the guidance may not even appear until July.

They feature comments from several state representatives, including Minnesota…

Bree Maki, executive director of the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development, said her state, too, pumped the brakes on BEAD. Her office wrapped its first round of the BEAD subgrantee selection process — which includes gathering proposals from internet service providers — last April, she said, but moving onto the second round has been slowed so as not to create duplicative work for vendor applicants.

“It’s more complicated than it appears on the paper,” Maki said. “But also, you know, elephant in the room, we all know that guidance is coming. So, one thing that we really considered in the state was not to move forward too fast and put our ISPs through another grant application that might have to be redone to the beginning.”

EVENT May 30: Tech in Your World: FREE event about low-cost internet!

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For folks close to the Twin Cities, here’s an event hosted by Literacy Minnesota…

This year’s event will be held at our Minneapolis based learning center. Attendees can learn about the digital literacy services Literacy Minnesota has to offer and check out a few vendors.

When: May 30 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: 627 W Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

 

Organizations

Loss of ACP means reduced spending on food and clothing and/or lose access to family and loved one

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C|Net posts an article on the impact of the loss of Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) money…

Former ACP enrollees have had to make a number of compromises to keep their internet on since it ended a year ago. A January survey from the National Lifeline Association found that nearly 40% of people enrolled in the program said they had to reduce spending on food to afford their new internet bill. 41% cut back on necessities like clothing, heat and doctor’s visits. Another 18% said their kids had difficulty completing homework assignments.

But the number that stuck out to me the most was the 64% who said they’re unable to maintain regular contact with family and loved ones. That was something I heard echoed by nearly every ACP user I spoke with for this piece: Life without an internet connection can be incredibly isolating.

Remind us of the history…

The ACP provided $30 a month to help low-income households pay for an internet connection, or $75 for people living on Tribal lands. The program accepted households at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or $60,000 for a family of four. Prices to get online have only gone up since it ended, with 63% of customers reporting higher internet bills than the year before in a recent CNET survey.

Despite broad bipartisan support from voters — and from former senator, now Vice President J.D. Vance, who co-sponsored a bill in 2024 to extend the ACP — the program officially ran out of money one year ago. Starting in June 2024, ACP users were faced with a stark choice: find an extra $30 in their monthly budget or cut the cord on their internet connection entirely.

“It was just a sad moment,” Burrell said. “I was praying that they’d let us keep it. But it was over.”

And the impact of the loss…

Those projections are no longer theoretical. A recent Ookla report found that the broadband divide grew in 32 states in the second half of 2024, which lines up almost exactly with the ACP’s end. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, the same company that owns CNET.)

Minneapolis Public Housing Authority and Comcast making Xfinity easier to access in several of the Minneapolis Public Housing buildings

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Access Newswire reports...

The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) and Comcast announced they have partnered to provide a WiFi connection to Xfinity’s next generation network in several of the Minneapolis Public Housing buildings in the city. This is Comcast’s second collaboration with a Minnesota-based housing agency to provide pre-installed, already on connectivity to the Xfinity network for their residents.

Residential units will be equipped to connect to Xfinity’s superior WiFi network. With Xfinity’s network readily available, residents will not need to schedule a technician to set up services, wait for their modem to arrive or go to the Xfinity store to collect their equipment. To activate service, residents will only need to call or use the Xfinity App. Current and new residents moving into WiFi ready units can connect to the Internet within five minutes of collecting their keys, making it much easier to get all their devices up and running.

EVENTS June 3 & 4: SmartNorth’s The Future Is Feminine adult career pathway program

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News from SmartNorth’s The Future Is Feminine adult career pathway program.

SmartNorth is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding digital literacy and workforce development across northern Minnesota.

We’re hosting in-person registration events—please forgive the short notice—at our Tech Hubs:

  • Tuesday, June 3 | 11 AM–2 PM
    Deer River Tech Hub, 1049 Comstock Dr, Deer River, MN
  • Wednesday, June 4 | 11 AM–2 PM
    Grand Rapids Tech Hub, 601 SW 7th St, Grand Rapids, MN

This no-cost opportunity offers women 18+ industry-recognized tech certifications, paid training, one-on-one mentorship, and support services (transportation, childcare, laptops, and more).

We would greatly appreciate your help spreading the word and encouraging potential participants to join this valuable program. Please feel free to forward this email or share the attached flyer.

EVENT May 20-22: Livestream Net Inclusion 2025!

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Net Inclusion is an annual event and “an opportunity to gain digital equity insights, ignite change, and amplify your impact in the digital inclusion movement.” It’s not too late to register for it; it’s happening next week in Arizona.

For those of us who aren’t able to travel, they will be livestreaming the event via YouTube. Here’s a schedule:

Tuesday, May 20

Time (MST) Content Highlights
8:45-9:45 Welcome Plenary – Mikhail Sundust, Welcome
– Kristopher Dosela, Blessing
– Governor Stephen Roe Lewis/Ginger Sunbird Martin, Welcome & Land Acknowledgment
– Basket Dancers
– Nicholas Capozzi, Welcome
9:45-10:00 Lightning Round 1
10:30-12:00 Breakout Session 1 – Funding Digital Equity Initiatives: A Panel of Local and National Private Funders
1:15-1:45 Lunch Plenary – Kristi Zappie-Ferradino, Impact & Highlights of the National Digital Navigator Corps

 

Wednesday, May 21

Time (MST) Content Highlights
8:45-9:50 Morning Plenary – Angela Siefer, State of Digital Inclusion
– Lev Gonick, Keynote – Looking back, moving forward
– Digital Equity Champions Awards
– Digital Inclusion Trailblazers Recognition
– Seven Star Communities Recognition
9:50-10:10 Lightning Round 2
10:30-11:30 Breakout Session 2  – Uplifting Community Impact and Outcomes Through Equity-Driven Community Storytelling
12:20-12:40 Lunch Plenary – Gigi Sohn, Keynote – DEA: Defend, Educate, Advocate
1:00-2:00 Breakout Session 3 – AI Skills ARE Digital Skills
2:10-2:50 Special Plenary  – Amy Huffman and Joseph Wender, Fireside Chat – Policy Pulse: Digital Equity and Broadband Policy Updates
3:00-4:00 Breakout Session 4  – Outputs vs. Impacts: Measuring Long-Term Success in Digital Equity
4:10-5:00 Special Session &
Lighting Round 3		  -Davida Delmar, Special Session Plenary – Digital Equity in Four Directions for Indian Country: Development, Reflection, Capacity, Kinship
-Special Session Panel – Celebrating Connectivity: Indigenous Leadership in Bridging the Digital Divide

 

Thursday, May 22

Time (MST) Content Highlights
9:00-9:30 Morning Plenary
9:30-10:00 Lightning Round 4
10:30-11:30 Breakout Session 5  – Integrating Cybersecurity and Online Safety into Digital Literacy Inclusion

Congrats to Benya Kraus and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation for her new position as President and CEO

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The Republican Eagle reports…

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) this week announced the appointment of Benya Kraus as its next president and CEO, effective June 16. Kraus succeeds Tim Penny, who has served the foundation with distinction for nearly two decades.

A nationally recognized rural leader and social entrepreneur, Kraus brings a deep personal commitment to southern Minnesota and a career defined by advancing rural vitality across the country. As part of a sixth-generation family native to Waseca County, she embodies what it means to choose to live and work in rural Minnesota as a powerful, intentional commitment to community and opportunity.

“Benya represents not just the future of SMIF, but the future of rural philanthropy across Minnesota and beyond,” said Shawn Vogt Sween, SMIF board chair. “She brings an extraordinary combination of vision, humility, operational excellence, and a deep personal tie to our region. We could not be more excited for this next chapter.”

Benya most recently served as Network Advancement Director at Resource Rural, supporting a national portfolio of rural development organizations in securing nearly $300 million in federal and state grants over the last year. She previously co-founded and scaled Lead For America, a nationwide nonprofit investing in emerging rural leaders, and led strategic partnerships that secured over $60 million for broadband expansion, early childhood initiatives, and small-town revitalization projects. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship.

Benya is well known to the Blandin Foundation, starting with her work as Executive Director for Lead for Minnesota. She is instrumental in raising the profile of the work of digital navigators and encouraging young people to become navigators and small towns to work them through the Lead for Minnesota program. She is smart and focused on doing what’s right for rural Minnesota.

President Trump says he would end the Digital Equity Act

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I’m borrowing the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society’s summary of the New York Times report…

President Donald Trump said he would end the Digital Equity Act, legislation that funds three programs that provide billions to extend internet access in underserved communities. Trump is casting the Digital Equity Act as unfairly providing grants on the basis of race. “I have spoken with my wonderful Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and we agree that the Biden/Harris so-called “Digital Equity Act” is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL,” says the President. “No more woke handouts based on race!” Trump’s move is only the latest by his administration to target diversity, equity or inclusion measures, which his conservative supporters argue discriminate against white Americans. “The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway. I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!,” he added.

Re-Introduced Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act put some onus on “Big Tech”

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

The Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025 proposes to reform the $9 billion Universal Service Fund, which supports broadband access in rural and Tribal areas. Sponsored by Senators Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., the bill enjoys bipartisan (Republican and Democrat) support from over five national trade associations, 48 state associations, and 350 American rural broadband providers.

The bill updates Section 254 of the Communications Act to include broadband and edge providers (e.g., Big Tech) as USF contributors. Within 18 months of passage, the Federal Communications Commission will conduct a rulemaking to establish equitable, nondiscriminatory contributions from these providers. The legislation limits the FCC’s authority to this specific reform, ensuring a focused approach.

Universal service refers to the principle or policy of making essential public services like telecommunications available to all people, regardless of their location, income level, or other barriers.

Why include Big Tech?

Big Tech firms garner some $200 billion annually in revenue from USF-funded regions without contributing to the $9 billion program. Strand Consult has documented this and other dynamics its report “Ending Big Tech’s Free Ride on USF”, part of a series on USF reform.

Each USF-connected household drives at least $1,500 yearly to Big Tech’s revenue. Firms in USF areas drive an additional $20,000 each in revenue to Big Tech. In a typical rural network, every $1 of Big Tech’s streaming subscription revenue correlates with $0.48 in unrecovered broadband network costs, with up to 80% of broadband network resources and 90% of broadband network costs tied to the top eight internet brands. Since becoming an online company, Netflix has doubled the price of its premium subscription without having to increase its broadband access cost. Meanwhile the price of broadband has fallen dramatically.

Moreover, 25% of broadband network traffic is advertising, which consumers pay for at the same rate as desired content, even though they do not request it. A similar dynamic is underway with IoT devices and machines which also generate traffic and consume resources; electric vehicles generate some 5 GB per day of sensor data when they plug in to home broadband networks.

How can we help veterans get online? Will Trump Administration changes make that harder?

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Last year the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society did some research and found that veterans are not online at same rate as peers. Benton followed up to find ways that individual states (including MN highlighted below) have been able boost the digital divide for veterans.

The Digital Equity Act Helps States Close the Digital Divide

For Veterans Day 2024, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and the Department of Veterans Affairs analyzed 50 digital equity plans to understand how states planned to help bring online the people who have served in the armed services.

We laid out five key strategies adopted by states that have thoughtfully addressed Veterans in their digital equity plans:

  1. Link needs assessments to implementation strategies.

Most state digital equity plans followed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) model guidance to include both a needs assessment and implementation strategy for all covered populations. We found that the best plans tied these efforts together in an intentional manner.

Approximately 83 percent of individuals in the US fall into at least one covered population. Many individuals are a part of more than one covered population. Unfortunately, populations with considerable overlap were sometimes treated as one in the planning process. We found that the states that were intentional about examining each covered population as unique groups ended up with more coherent implementation strategies. Minnesota carefully separates Veterans from other covered populations, treating “Veterans as Veterans rather than Veterans as a subset of older adults.” New York’s plan connects each of its implementation strategies for serving Veterans to a specific need.

  1. Leverage other state and federal agencies.

State digital equity plans recognize the importance of coordinating with other federal and state agencies. Coordination is especially important when planning to serve and providing services to Veterans, as there are agencies like the Veterans Affairs and state departments of Veterans Services already providing services to Veterans.

  1. Identify specific standout partners.

There is a vast network of over 7,000 veteran service organizations throughout the country. The Benton Institute’s recent Human Infrastructure of Broadband project analyzed a database of over 250 organizations that provide direct service to access broadband and digital skills resources. Of these, 92 serve Veterans.

Exemplary state digital equity plans were thorough in identifying the trusted Veterans service organizations that operate in the states. These organizations will be vital partners for implementing state digital equity strategies. These partners can be government organizations, national non-profits (like the Wounded Warrior Project), regional non-profits (like the Alaska Warrior Partnership), or even local branches of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

  1. Design a workforce strategy for Veterans.

Many state plans found that Veterans may be an untapped resource to close workforce gaps in industries such as semi-conductor manufacturing and cybersecurity. Veterans, especially younger Veterans, are likely to have received on-the-job training that directly or indirectly prepares them for these fields.

However, identifying Veterans as an asset to closing workforce gaps is not enough. To maximize impact, states created implementation strategies that direct Veterans to the industries in which they are likely to succeed based on their experience. In addition to more advanced workforce training programs, foundational digital skills training should be available to all Veterans who need it.

  1. Prioritize access to health care.

The Veteran population has complex medical needs compared to non-veterans. Most states acknowledged that Veterans, especially rural Veterans, are positioned to benefit from telehealth access. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers a range of telehealth services to its patients.

The VA promotes telehealth use through its Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS) program, which places telehealth access points in community locations such as VFW and American Legion posts. However, broadband infrastructure, broadband affordability, and digital skills gaps prevent many Veterans from accessing these services.

The question for 2025, is if the current Administration has created barriers…

These strategies will help eradicate the digital divide for Veterans across the country—if the Trump NTIA allows states to implement them.

At the start of 2025, the NTIA recommended awards totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to support organizations that serve all eight covered populations, including Veterans.

Unfortunately, some policymakers have raised opposition to bill that would support efforts to connect veterans.