Advocates Seek Bigger Push for Equity in Broadband Investments

Digital equity advocates and lawmakers want bigger efforts to bridge the digital divide, they said Tuesday. Some at the Hispanic Technology & Telecommunications Partnership’s virtual digital inclusion summit said digital discrimination is a top priority. Others encouraged local leaders to promote the FCC’s affordable connectivity program.

Despite the “tremendous progress” in overcoming the digital divide, “we’re not in a situation where we’re raising the mission accomplished flag by any stretch of the imagination,” said FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. The FCC has “some really good initiatives underway,” Carr said, including ACP, and the Lifeline program, reaching communities “still stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide” should be prioritized.

High-speed internet “is a necessity,” said Vice President Kamala Harris: “When people are cut off from high-speed internet, they are cut off from opportunity.” NTIA will distribute more than $250 million in the coming months through its connecting minority communities, said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. “We have the dollars to at this point to end the digital divide and shame on us if we don’t do the work necessary to make that happen,” Carr said, adding policymakers need to consider what the next steps should be once the funding runs out.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s broadband funding is "a big deal," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., but "ensuring that digital inclusion is at the center of these investments will be so important to the overall success of this package."

The internet is an “essential means for traversing our modern society,” said Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y. Equal access to telehealth is still needed for healthcare providers serving rural and tribal communities, said Mescalero Apache Telecom General Manager Godfrey Enjady. Carr said he hopes Congress makes permanent some of the waivers granted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed better access to telehealth (see 2203040051).

Digital redlining "extends racial discrimination from the physical world to an ever-expanding virtual civil society," Clarke said. Broadband access "must be a right, not a privilege." Digital redlining “denies access to economic opportunity.” Greenlining Institute Senior Legal Counsel-Technology Equity Vinhcent Le said the FCC’s forthcoming report on digital discrimination should include a demographic and racial breakdown of which communities have access to high-speed internet and investments, a comparison of outcomes for communities based on access, and the level of competition (see 2203010051).

“Plenty of gaps” affect the Latino community, said Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program Senior Research Manager Diego Deleersnyder, including affordable broadband and access to devices. Bridging the digital divide is more than achieving faster speeds and lower prices, said Brandon Forester, MediaJustice national organizer. “We need to take ownership so that we can actually make sure that we’re building out communities that are safe and secure,” Forester said. More investment is needed in community-based and cultural institutions “to have an effective strategy for digital equity,” said Multicultural Media, Telecom, and Internet Council Vice President-Policy Fallon Wilson.

Involvement and support is needed at every level to bolster equitable community engagement, said Carrie Coogan, Kansas City Public Library deputy director-public affairs and community engagement. Smart Columbus Executive Director Jordan Davis agreed, adding there’s a “capacity shift going on locally.” Make cooperation “a regional approach, especially if you’re a smaller city,” said Candelaria Mendoza, San Antonio interim digital inclusion administrator.

Update Communications Decency Act Section 230 "to meet the needs of the 21st century," said Color of Change President Rashad Robinson (see 2204060074). That includes "dealing with the business model" and ensuring companies uphold civil rights, Robinson said. "We have to be realistic and know that providers aren't going to be perfect," said Chamber of Progress Vice President-Legal Advocacy Elizabeth Banker. Section 230 provides a platform “to voices that are outside the mainstream ... or aren't well-funded enough to pay for placement," Banker said: “It’s also essential if you want to encourage providers to be more proactive in terms of removing content that is harmful."