The House last week passed, H.R. 1108, a bill that would extend the FCC's spectrum auction authority to May 19, 2023. The bill which was sponsored by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-NJ) extended the authority, which would have expired March 9 under current law.

"With the looming March 9 deadline, I'm pleased to see the House act to extend the Commission's auction authority to May 19," said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering. "While this is a necessary step, I encourage all sides to reach a long-term agreement as soon as possible. Any package that is passed needs to empower the FCC to leverage the nation’s spectrum resources for more licensed and unlicensed broadband use cases, including 5G service. This authority is critical to ensuring we are at the forefront of innovation and remain a global leader in the telecommunications marketplace."

The NTIA is seeking input on how to structure nearly $2.7 billion in grant programs to ensure everyone in America has the digital skills and devices they need to realize the full potential of high-speed Internet access. 

The goal of the Digital Equity Act’s $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program and the $1.25 billion Competitive Digital Equity Program—each a part of NTIA’s Internet for All initiative—is to promote adoption and meaningful use of the Internet among underrepresented communities and populations, including low-income households, veterans, aging individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, rural residents and others. The Digital Equity Act grant programs are funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced a Request for Comment on the programs at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s Net Inclusion event. 

This request for comment is part of NTIA’s larger strategy to hear from a diverse set of voices while implementing high-speed Internet grant programs. NTIA requests feedback on the design, rules, and evaluation criteria for both digital equity programs.

• The State Digital Equity Capacity Grant program will fund implementation of state and territories’ digital equity plans, which will identify barriers in communities to achieving full participation in the digital economy, and strategies to overcome those barriers.
• The Competitive Digital Equity Program will fund organizations including schools, libraries, nonprofits and others offering digital inclusion activities and promoting Internet adoption. NTIA will establish the Competitive Digital Equity Program after it begins awarding funds from the State Capacity Grant Program. 

The request for comment will be available on regulations.gov. Comments are due on or before 5 p.m. EST on May 1, 2023. In addition to requesting written comment, NTIA will host a series of public virtual listening sessions in connection with the Digital Equity Act programs in the coming months.

The U.S. Census Bureau, in partnership with the NTIA, announced the launch of the ACCESS BROADBAND Dashboard. ACCESS BROADBAND stands for Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act. The new data tool shows how changes in broadband infrastructure expansion may impact local economies.

The dashboard includes a series of maps showing different broadband access measures, as well as economic characteristics that research suggests could be influenced by increased access to broadband. Maps display statistics on employment, small business establishments, wages and income, poverty, home values, population change and migration, educational attainment and gross domestic product (GDP). 

Maps include statistics for U.S. states (including the District of Columbia) and counties, with a few select key indicators available at the census tract level. Most maps also include statistics for Puerto Rico.

The Census Bureau and NTIA plan to update the dashboard annually so users can assess the economic context of areas where broadband availability and adoption efforts are underway. Each release will include the interactive dashboard and supplemental data files so users can access the underlying map data.

The ACCESS BROADBAND Act of 2021 (enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021) was designed in large part to track federal broadband investment. The measure requires the NTIA to report to Congress annually on the economic impact of federal broadband investments on local economies, including any effect on small businesses and jobs.

Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National Cybersecurity Strategy to secure the full benefits of a safe and secure digital ecosystem for all Americans.

According to the Strategy: "In this decisive decade, the United States will reimagine cyberspace as a tool to achieve our goals in a way that reflects our values: economic security and prosperity; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; trust in our democracy and democratic institutions; and an equitable and diverse society. To realize this vision, we must make fundamental shifts in how the United States allocates roles, responsibilities, and resources in cyberspace. We must rebalance the responsibility to defend cyberspace by shifting the burden for cybersecurity away from individuals, small businesses, and local governments, and onto the organizations that are most capable and best-positioned to reduce risks for all of us. We must realign incentives to favor long-term investments by striking a careful balance between defending ourselves against urgent threats today and simultaneously strategically planning for and investing in a resilient future."

The Strategy recognizes that government must use all tools of national power in a coordinated manner to protect our national security, public safety, and economic prosperity.

Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) led Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MS), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Dick Durbin (D-IL.) to reintroduce the Digital Equity Foundation Act, legislation to establish a nonprofit foundation that would channel public and private investments into making progress in closing the divide on digital equity, digital inclusion and digital literacy. 

This Foundation will supplement the NTIA's and the FCC’s work to award grants, support research, provide training and education, engage with stakeholders, collect data, and promote policies to improve digital equity outcomes. The Foundation will be run by a Board of experts specializing in the fields of digital equity, technology, and telecommunications, and will represent diverse communities throughout the U.S.

Congressionally established nonprofit foundations have had great success in supporting the missions of various government agencies, including the National Institutions of Health (NIH), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Park Service (NPS), and provide a mechanism to leverage public-private partnerships and support innovation. As the NTIA works to implement the broadband programs in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and connect our country, the Digital Equity Foundation will be vital to ensuring the most vulnerable communities have the knowledge and skills to take full advantage of these new connections.

This legislation is endorsed by the Open Technology Institute at New America, Public Knowledge, The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, the Center for Rural Strategies, the PtP Initiative, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Common Sense Media, Consumer Reports, the American Library Association, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Common Cause, the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, the National Consumer Law Center and NextGen California.