Advocates, Local Officials Stress Stakeholder Engagement in Digital Equity Act Planning

Consumer advocates and local broadband officials emphasized the need for states to engage community stakeholders as they prepare their digital equity plans funded by the Digital Equity Act, during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday (see 2211020082). Some urged additional funding for the FCC's affordable connectivity program to ensure low-income households can adopt broadband once NTIA's grant programs are implemented.

The Digital Equity Act established three programs under NTIA aimed at promoting digital inclusion. The $60 million state planning grant program provides funding for digital equity plans, the $1.44 billion state capacity grant program provides funding to implement digital equity plans and promote digital inclusion, and the $1.25 billion competitive grant program provides funding for digital equity and inclusion activities.

NTIA Digital Equity Director Angela Thi Bennett encouraged community organizations to participate in the planning process now if they haven't engaged with their state broadband offices yet, noting all states were awarded their digital equity grants by November and have 12 months to develop their plans. "States are going to need organizations to implement these plans," Bennett said. NTIA will issue a notice of funding opportunity for the state capacity grant program in "early 2024." The competitive grant program will be opened "shortly after," she added.

The funding will be a "critical and important booster shot" to get a "longer term framework in place" for digital equity efforts, said City of Seattle Digital Equity Advisor David Keyes. There must be "meaningful" community engagement as states develop their plans, said National Digital Inclusion Alliance Policy Director Amy Huffman. The plans "should reflect the actual needs and the realities that are on the ground," Huffman said.

"A big question is going to be how we get people to adopt" broadband, said Lathen Consulting President Deborah Lathen, saying a key focus will need to be on affordability. One "long term issue" for digital equity efforts is how well funded state broadband offices are, Keyes said. Another issue is encouraging state broadband offices to work with other agencies at the local level, Keyes said.

Lathen stressed the need for digital navigators to build trust among households that may be eligible for broadband affordability programs like ACP but haven't enrolled due to a lack of trust. Digital navigators are "trusted guides" that work with communities on how to access broadband affordability programs and learn digital skills, said National Digital Equity Center Executive Director Susan Corbett.

The need to extend ACP is "urgent," and advocacy "needs to start on it now" because "we know it's basically lower income people who do not subscribe to broadband," Lathen said. The Digital Equity Act's funding isn't enough to support affordability, devices and digital literacy skills, Huffman said, and the programs need the ACP to "be alongside it in order for it to be as effective as it can possibly be."

Also Wednesday, Free State Foundation President Randy May backed an extension to ACP, in an op-ed. Access to high-speed broadband "plays an important role in enhancing, if not in many cases determining, a person's quality of life," May said: "The ACP has features that make it superior to some other subsidy programs aimed at lower-income persons." May recommended any additional appropriations come with eligibility changes to ensure the funding lasts longer. He also suggested "strong independent accountability and transparency measures" such as regular reporting to Congress.