Policy Positions | National Digital Inclusion Alliance

U.S. House votes “Yes” on home broadband benefit and digital equity funding for states and communities

by Bill Callahan | Jul 1, 2020 | Digital Inclusion News, Policy Positions

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the “Moving Forward Act” (HR 2), a $1.5 trillion infrastructure funding bill that includes $8.8 billion for a new “broadband benefit” program to help low-income households and recently laid-off consumers pay for...

Wyden bill provides emergency internet assistance for laid-off workers, low income households, Pell students

by Bill Callahan | Jun 30, 2020 | COVID-19, Digital Inclusion News, Policy Positions

United States Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon yesterday introduced the “Emergency Broadband Connections Act”, which would create a new Emergency Benefit for Broadband Service to provide free or low-cost broadband service for low-income families as well as...

New U.S. House broadband bill includes low-income payment help and digital inclusion funding

by Bill Callahan | Jun 24, 2020 | Digital Inclusion News, Policy Positions

A bill introduced today by Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives proposes more than a billion dollars in funding for state and community digital inclusion initiatives, as well as a new federal broadband benefit that would contribute $50 a month to...

NDIA says “rural only” broadband investment is structurally racist

by Bill Callahan | Jun 19, 2020 | Digital Inclusion News, Measuring Inclusion, Policy Positions

NDIA has released a new white paper arguing that current federal policies which limit broadband expenditures to rural infrastructure deployment, while offering no help to millions of unconnected urban residents, are “structurally racist, discriminating against...

Federal regulators allow CRA credit for bank investments in digital access during COVID-19 emergency

by Bill Callahan | May 26, 2020 | COVID-19, Digital Inclusion News, Policy Positions

The three federal agencies that oversee U.S. banks and savings institutions have adopted special Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) guidelines for the COVID-19 emergency period which, among other things, allow regulated lenders to seek CRA credit for “Loans,...

New rules from OCC: Banks can now get CRA credit for funding digital inclusion

by Bill Callahan | May 20, 2020 | COVID-19, Digital Inclusion News, Policy Positions

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal agency that oversees national banks and savings associations, has just added support for community digital inclusion programs to its official list of “qualified activities” that could help a regulated...