- Stakeholders Call for DEA Funds
- New Digital Inclusion Legislation
- Vermont's Human-Centered Broadband Work
- FCC Changes Broadband Data Collection
- Cleveland Council Awards Nonprofit Millions
STAKEHOLDERS CALL FOR DEA FUNDS
Digital inclusion stakeholders — including the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), the Hispanic Federation, the National Urban League, and federal government officials — discussed the Digital Equity Act (DEA)'s future during a virtual press conference last week.
One year after the DEA’s illegal cancellation by social media post, NDIA designated the DEA Month of Action to raise awareness about the harms caused by its cancellation and the importance of digital inclusion programs — to urge Congress not to deliver on the president’s requests to eliminate DEA funds from the fiscal year 2027 budget. Officials held a press conference May 14.
The DEA was enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, marking the largest single investment in digital equity in U.S. history. Its programs are designed to complement historical federal investments in broadband infrastructure, like the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, to help them achieve their intended impact.
The Trump administration’s current budget request calls on Congress to rescind these funds entirely, which community-based organizations have spent years preparing to deploy.
Lawmakers at the press conference, including U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, emphasized that it is Congress, not the president, that holds authority over appropriations.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez and other speakers discussed the regulatory and legal implications of stalling these funds. DEA funds and the programs they were designed to support impact workforce and economic readiness, especially in rural populations and communities of color.
The DEA Month of Action lasts through June 8, during which stakeholders are urged to share their stories on social media and remind policymakers of the need for these programs.
NEW DIGITAL INCLUSION LEGISLATION
In other federal policy news, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján introduced two pieces of legislation this week to support digital equity.
The Outage Refund Protection Act would require telecommunications service providers to issue a credit equal to 1/30 of the monthly bill for any service outage lasting more than four hours; it would be automatically applied to the consumer’s account. The legislation is supported by Public Knowledge and the National Consumer Law Center.
“If you pay for a service, that’s what you should be getting,” Luján said in a statement.
The bicameral Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026, also introduced this week, would establish a nonprofit foundation to leverage both private and public investments to support broadband access and adoption. The foundation would supplement the work of federal organizations to award grants, support research and education, and promote policies to advance digital opportunity.
This legislation has been endorsed by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, Communications Workers of America and the NDIA.
VERMONT'S HUMAN-CENTERED BROADBAND WORK
The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) has been taking a human-centered approach to broadband expansion.
In the video below from VCBB, one family in the state underlined the personal impact of a high-speed fiber Internet connection — highlighting the needs of a student, professionals, and even a child who wanted to play Minecraft without it glitching.
Broadband deployment directly affects people — and the work of it requires them. A new class of VCBB’s Broadband Technician Apprenticeship/Pre-Apprenticeship Training will graduate on Friday, building up the state’s workforce as infrastructure deployment continues.
FCC CHANGES BROADBAND DATA COLLECTION
The FCC has adopted rules intended to streamline the processes supporting its Broadband Data Collection work. The action has garnered both support and criticism.
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty said in a statement that she welcomes the move because it is designed to improve mapping data while seeking comment on broader reforms.
In contrast, the broadband policy director at Public Knowledge, a nonprofit public interest group advocating for an open Internet, issued a statement critiquing the action. According to Alisa Valentin, the action could undermine the accuracy of broadband maps: “Today, the Commission is once again invoking the term ‘streamlining’ as justification for creating a permission structure that allows providers to evade accountability while consumers experience the consequences of distorted broadband maps.”
CLEVELAND COUNCIL AWARDS NONPROFIT MILLIONS
The Cleveland City Council has authorized a $4.35 million performance payment to DigitalC — the Cleveland nonprofit working to deliver high-speed Internet to Northeast Ohio through a model that other Midwest cities are hoping to replicate. DigitalC, by the way, exceeded its 2025 goals to connect Cleveland households.
Through what is now often referred to as “the Cleveland model,” DigitalC has demonstrated how a city can measurably expand broadband access and digital literacy. The nonprofit was required by its performance-based contract with the city to add 4,700 new household Internet subscriptions and provide adoption services to 10,000 residents in 2025; the nonprofit exceeded both targets.
DigitalC CEO Joshua Edmonds described the milestone as a “validation of Cleveland’s investment” in a statement, underlining the value of city leadership’s support for these efforts.
