Digital Equity

The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians and AT&T held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for a project that will expand access to high-speed Internet service to more than 500 new customers in Valley Center, Calif.

Plus, AT&T is opening a center to support digital equity in Miami, Kansas is the latest state to submit its five-year broadband action plan to the federal government, and more.

The ed-tech company Discovery Education is in the process of acquiring DreamBox Learning, whose math and reading tools serve about 6 million K-12 students and 600,000 teachers across the U.S.

Dearborn Heights library director Michael McCaffrey said the grant money from the Department of Education will be spent completely replacing computers and infrastructure in both libraries in the city.

Advocacy groups such as CurbCutOS and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund say the digital revolution in education is leaving some students with disabilities behind, and progress will require assessments.

The ambitious plans to connect underserved parts of California appear to have been slashed disproportionately, threatening to leave some urban communities, including East Oakland and South Central Los Angeles, further behind.

All guides, papers, evidence-based tools, webinars and videos curated by TransformEd, which ceased operations in June, have gone to another education nonprofit that shares its vision for inclusiveness and equity.

Plus, Oklahoma has launched a new interactive map to track Internet service in the state, Maine has submitted a new broadband plan to the federal government, and more.

Experts argue that agencies having staff dedicated to equity and inclusion play an important role for government work, from strategic planning, to operations, to the rise of digital government services.

This week, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown announced $162.5 million in federal funding for high-speed Internet infrastructure and community and workforce development projects. The money comes from the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund.

Officials are asking residents to answer a survey about access to broadband Internet. Information collected will help identify areas where infrastructure does not exist or where service does not meet the minimum speed standards.

Plus, more than 20 million households have now enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program; Sen. Warnock urges the FCC to fight digital discrimination; a bipartisan group in the U.S. House requests ACP extension; and more.

During a National Digital Inclusion Alliance webinar last week, experts explored several key tools and dashboards that help make data on the Affordable Connectivity Program more accessible to drive action.

A new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation calls on Congress to take several actions to support digital equity, including sustaining funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Plus, a cross-agency partnership in New Jersey is working to get more residents enrolled in affordable broadband programs, North Carolina is looking for participation in digital equity services, and more.

Thanks to years of updates, tools such as Power Point, Microsoft 365’s Present Live, Microsoft Immersive Reader and Google Translate have almost negated the need for extra teachers for English-language learners.

Plus, new research shows that broadband subsidy programs are helping to deliver affordable Internet; New York City continues to expand its Big Apple Connect program; a look at the Broadband Infrastructure Playbook 3.0; and more.

The Cumberland County Commission committed $3 million to provide local matching funds for state broadband expansion grants. That money will be split between two Internet service providers.