Last week marked a significant step forward in our shared mission to close the digital divide. U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Representative Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) have introduced the bicameral Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026, legislation designed to establish a new nonprofit foundation that leverages both public and private investments to expand digital opportunity nationwide.
As technology, broadband, and emerging tools like artificial intelligence (AI) become further embedded in our daily lives, piecemeal solutions for supporting digital inclusion programs are no longer sufficient. This legislation recognizes that true digital equity requires long-term, sustainable strategies to ensure every person can access, adopt, and effectively use modern digital tools.
The Reality on the Ground: A Community Stretched Thin
At the heart of this legislation is a recognition of the realities digital inclusion practitioners face every day. Right now, NDIA’s Affiliates are unable to meet their community’s rapidly growing needs without sustained federal funding programs like the Digital Equity Act.
Our network of over 2,000 affiliates are the trusted experts teaching veterans to navigate telehealth, keeping seniors safe online, and guiding workers as they adapt to AI. Yet, they simply cannot keep pace with this escalating demand without a coordinated federal strategy and dedicated resources.
How the Foundation Will Help
The proposed Foundation for Digital Opportunity is designed to supplement, not supplant, efforts by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Modeled after highly successful foundations that support agencies like the NIH and the National Park Service, this new entity will:
- Award Grants and Support Research: Directing funds to the local programs and research initiatives that need it most.
- Provide Training and Education: Equipping communities with the digital skills necessary to thrive in a modern economy.
- Leverage Public-Private Partnerships: Creating a mechanism to pool resources from both the government and private sectors to support innovation.
- Collect Data and Promote Policy: Ensuring that future digital inclusion efforts are guided by accurate data and governed by a board of experts representing diverse communities across the country.
Putting People First
We cannot treat consistent internet access, appropriate devices, and digital skill-building as luxuries. They are essential components of a healthy, economically thriving democracy.
Angela Siefer, NDIA executive director, highlighted the necessity of this legislation in last week’s announcement:
“To keep our seniors safe online, teach veterans how to navigate telehealth, and guide workers in how to use AI to advance their careers, the U.S. needs sustained investment in digital opportunity programs… The National Digital Inclusion Alliance enthusiastically endorses the Digital Opportunity Act because it puts people first and is the sustainable investment in digital opportunity that all U.S. residents need to thrive.”
A Growing Coalition
NDIA is proud to stand alongside a broad coalition of civil rights, education, and consumer advocacy organizations in endorsing this bill, including the American Library Association, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, the ACLU, and the National Urban League, among many others.
Closing the digital divide takes more than just laying fiber; it takes an enduring commitment to the people who use those networks. The Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026 is a vital mechanism to ensure that our most vulnerable communities have the knowledge, skills, and support to fully participate in our digital society.
Stay tuned for more information and ways to support the bill in the coming weeks and months.