National Digital Inclusion Alliance

This guide provides state and territory leaders with simple, tactical steps to prepare now for planning and eventual implementation of digital equity strategies. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Digital Equity Act (DEA) funds the creation and implementation of statewide digital equity plans.

Angela Thi Bennett is now serving as the first-ever digital equity director at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), within the US Department of Commerce. She will move from her current position as DigitalC’s director of advocacy, where she has been a strong champion for digital inclusion in Cleveland (OH). Angela has also been deeply engaged in national digital equity work for years with National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) encouraged the Federal Communications Commission to involve trusted community organizations in outreach efforts for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). NDIA also addressed a pilot program focused on promoting ACP enrollment among households participating in Federal Public Housing Assistance programs. NDIA urged the FCC to:

This guidebook provides an in-depth look at successful models and recurring themes across digital inclusion coalitions, accompanied by best practices, lessons learned, and specific recommendations from the field. The guidebook is intended for individuals and organizations who are committed to advancing digital equity in their community and who recognize the value of coalitions in achieving that goal. Key themes include:

Nine of the nation’s leading digital equity organizations announced the launch of Airwaves for Equity, a coalition focused on asking Congress to dedicate the net proceeds from future spectrum auctions to support digital literacy and inclusion efforts.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) announced a multi-year, $10 million grant from Google.org to create a National Digital Navigator Corps.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance compiled a sampling of free, online digital literacy resources that demonstrate the diversity of curricula and methods that can be explored to help determine what works best for your community:

To ensure Congress's largest-ever broadband and digital equity investments are here to stay, we must have robust and accurate broadband adoption data. Unfortunately, such broadband adoption data is not currently publicly available. While the Federal Communications Commission's maps were updated in 2021 with 2020 data, the broadband adoption data was not released. The importance of having robust, accurate, and timely data can not be overstated.

January 4, 2022 is the deadline to nominate one or more people for the Charles Benton Digital Equity Champion Award and the Emerging Leader Award. Named for Charles Benton, the founder of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, the awards will be presented at Net Inclusion 2022 next month in Portland, Oregon.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition wrote a joint letter of support urging the Senate Commerce Committee to quickly conduct hearings and speedily confirm President Biden’s nominees to the Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).