We’re often so busy in our day to day that we forget to share updates. Here are NDIA’s successes and activities of the past quarter.
- An NDIA working group created definitions for digital inclusion and digital equity. The NDIA Directing Council ratified the definitions. Angela Siefer wrote an article about the definitions published by the Benton Foundation.
- Angela Siefer co-wrote the article “Digital Equity Planning in U.S. Cities”, published by the Benton Foundation.
- Angela Siefer write the article “Innovators in Digital Inclusion: PCs for People”. It is the first in a series.
- In the AT&T-DirecTV merger conditions set by the FCC, AT&T agreed to offer low-cost broadband service to households participating in SNAP. The language of that agreement stated the low-cost service would be offered to households where 3 mbps, 5 mbps or 10mbps is available. Through NDIA affiliates and mapping of data collected by the FCC, NDIA determined thousands of eligible households have less than 3mbps service available from AT&T (including 21% of households in Cleveland). NDIA asked AT&T to rectify the situation. AT&T declined. The press reported the story and AT&T is now making their low-cost offer available to households that have less than 3 mbps AT&T service. We won.
- NDIA requested proposals for cities to host Net Inclusion: The National Digital Inclusion Summit 2017. Four cities submitted proposals. NDIA chose St. Paul Minnesota. Net Inclusion 2017 will take place during two days of the week of May 15, 2017.
- On October, 13, 2017, responding to a request for comments by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), NDIA submitted official comments regarding a National Broadband Research Agenda. Bill Callahan led development of NDIA’s comments.
- In cooperation with a coalition of organizations, NDIA has been encouraging the FCC to adopt privacy rules to protect the costumers of Internet Service Providers, who have access to an incredible amount of personal data. The FCC adopted an order stating which kinds of data sharing requires an opt-in from consumers and which requires an opt-out. The FCC released a fact sheet.
- NDIA is hosting a total of three webinars in which NDIA affiliates provide feedback for the broadband adoption section of the Community Connectivity Initiative being developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
- NDIA is a partner in the IMLS funded project “Libraries Leading in Digital Inclusion and Disaster Response via TV WhiteSpace Wireless Connections”.
- Angela Siefer was appointed to the Federal Communication Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee.