Digital Equity

After a long wait, the federal infrastructure bill is headed toward President Joe Biden's desk. How can states and local areas take advantage of the $65 billion set aside for broadband? Here are some details.

California officials must act immediately to provide distance learning that is comparable to last year for students with disabilities and also adequate to their overall needs, a judge has ordered.

Plus, applications for the U.S. Digital Corps will open soon, the Knight Foundation makes a significant commitment to Detroit’s digital equity work, and Denice Ross is the new U.S. chief data scientist.

A cyber attack has temporarily shut down the computer system and website of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. Officials don't know how long it will take to get the network working again.

Leaders in academia and the tech industry signed a report last week, ‘Action to Catalyze Tech,’ advising companies and institutions on how to address the under-representation of women and non-white workers.

A new study by the nonprofit Code.org found that just over half of U.S. high schools offer computer science classes, but Black, Latino and Native American students are more likely to attend a school that doesn't.

Northampton voters on Tuesday widely approved a ballot measure that will allow the city to pursue municipally owned Internet, paving the way for local leaders to take the next step in a project already approved by the City Council.

While designed to help colleges and universities boost revenue and enrollment, algorithms that decide how to apportion financial aid could be unfairly filtering out applicants and reducing the amount of available aid.

An arm of a Portland, Maine, conservative think tank is taking a leap into local politics and working to oppose a proposed $4.5 million broadband bond issue on Tuesday's ballot in Hampden, Maine.

Billions of federal dollars for broadband came with the stipulation that they benefit underserved populations. New projects that link last-mile access with affordability are paving the way for universal Internet service.

A recently formed diversity and inclusion council within Tennessee's Strategic Technology Solutions agency looks to address workplace diversity by creating a safe space for employees to discuss and learn about related issues.

Officials in Harlingen, Texas, want to use $4 million to give all homes in the city basic access to the Internet. Officials note that the investment won't provide broadband-level speed.

Plus, the USDA plans to make $1.15 billion available to efforts that aim to bolster rural access to high-speed Internet; Montana makes a move to create its own statewide broadband map; and more.

Studying ways to improve student math scores, particularly for non-white students, the nonprofit College Bridge found some Black and Latino students benefited from receiving lessons online as opposed to in person.

Local universities, community colleges and public libraries are helping older generations learn information literacy and computer skills as fast-evolving technlogies become increasingly integrated into daily life.

Austin, Texas, for years has been one of the nation's most desirable tech hubs, especially now as software giant Oracle and, coming soon, electric carmaker Tesla move their headquarters there.

The West Virginia Economic Development Office has made a map of broadband infrastructure which will guide Gov. Jim Justice’s plan of bringing Internet to hundreds of thousands of state residents, state officials say.

Plus, Philadelphia reports progress in getting residents connected to the Internet, Cleveland has a new program to connect residents to resources, an online map lets residents get involved with redistricting work, and more.