'Special Focus' on Connecting Black Households 'Warranted' to Close Digital Divide: Starks
A "special focus" on connecting Black households "is warranted if we are ever going to close the digital divide," said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks during a virtual event Tuesday. "Far too many Black Americans are on the wrong side of the digital divide," Starks said, and "we can no longer defer the hard work on digital equity." The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $2.75 billion for NTIA to establish digital equity and inclusion programs and language authorizing the FCC to spend some of its $14 billion affordable connectivity program (ACP) on outreach (see 2107280065).
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The infrastructure law also directed the FCC to adopt rules combating digital discrimination (see 2202080013). The agency plans to release a draft notice of inquiry “this week” to “study digital redlining,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. It will seek comments on “what it looks like, what it means, how we define it, and how we fix it,” Rosenworcel said.
The nearly $65 billion in recent broadband funding is “a historic amount” and the new programs "must work well in order to meet disconnected Americans where they are,” Starks said. NTIA plans a virtual listening session Wednesday on the Digital Equity Act to “ensure we know what is really happening on the ground as we design these programs,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The agency is also “working quickly to get the money out the door in the next few months” for the connecting minority communities pilot program, Raimondo said. The infrastructure law “offer[s] a comprehensive three-pronged approach that invests in high-speed access, affordability, and adoption to close the digital divide,” said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.: “It recognizes that for unserved and underserved communities, affordability and adoption are just as critical as fiber and labor.”
NTIA “has a difficult task” in administering the $42 billion broadband, equity, access, and deployment program, said Commissioner Nathan Simington. The agency “can’t do this alone,” Simington said, and will need to coordinate with stakeholders at every level. Bringing together stakeholders at the federal, state and local level is “key” to implementing the new broadband programs, said Commissioner Brendan Carr, saying he hopes to “have a dialogue about Lifeline” and how to “make that program better.”
NTIA is “keenly interested in making sure these programs support broader adoption and equity efforts across all of our work,” said Administrator Alan Davidson. “We have to be really intentional and transparent” with outreach efforts and work on the ground, said Scott Woods, NTIA director-Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives, noting the agency’s virtual workshops, listening sessions, and technical assistance webinars.
The digital divide “is not just a rural problem,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D). It’s a “very specific urban issue” and “we want to make sure that those infrastructure dollars specifically focus on eliminating Wi-Fi and broadband gaps, so cities are not passed over,” Lightfoot said. Outreach must be “consistent, respectful, and genuine” when assisting eligible households to enroll in ACP, said Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D).
The FCC should fund “trusted messengers” on the ground and ensure households receive consumer protection information when informed about the program itself, Barnes said. The infrastructure law authorized the FCC to spend some of ACP’s $14 billion on outreach grants and promotional spending. Comments on how the agency should establish this are due by March 16 in docket 21-450 (see 2202110055). Among the proposals is a pilot program to boost enrollment among federal public housing assistance program recipients. “If you are experiencing housing insecurity, I can guarantee you are having digital insecurity as well,” Starks said.