COVID-19 Resources

Organizations that already focused on access to the internet and devices (public use and in the home) plus digital literacy training, now find themselves working around the clock.  Organizations that did not provide this digital inclusion programming now find themselves figuring out how to do so, again around the clock. Most of this work is local and none of them have enough resources.

NDIA is:

  1. Facilitating virtual spaces for information sharing
  2. Relaying on the ground experiences and federal resource needs to the media
  3. Advocating for local, state and federal resources
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Community Calls

To help our community stay informed during this chaotic time – NDIA is hosting Community Zoom calls the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month at 1 PM ET. During these calls, we will share national resources and on-the-ground strategies for providing digital inclusion services during this health crisis.

REGISTER HERE if you would like to join.

The onset of a global health pandemic has put a spotlight on digital inclusion. NDIA is documenting State Government Responses and Local Government Responses to encourage other governments to address access to the internet (particularly at home), personal computers and tablets, and tech assistance. These initiatives are in addition to the FCC’s Keeping American’s Connected Pledge.

Free & Low Cost Internet

The COVID-19 health crisis has shed light on the need for home internet service, and the large number of American households in all kinds of communities who don’t have it. Some Internet Service Providers have responded with new or improved discount broadband plans, that will only be available for a short time; others continue to offer plans that were created prior to the crisis. NDIA updates the list of Free & Low-Cost Internet Plans regularly.

This ten-episode series showcases interviews with digital inclusion stakeholders and practitioners from across the country highlighting their community-based efforts to address the digital divide. In the first four episodes, the digital inclusion practitioners talk about how they have pivoted and adapted their organizations and digital inclusion work amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angela Addresses the Digital Equity Landscape on iHeartMedia

In the News

Part One:

Part Two:

Latest News

Can Bulk Purchases be used for the Emergency Broadband Benefit?

As digital inclusion advocates and internet service providers (ISPs) across the country prepare for the start of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB), NDIA has gathered resources to assist community based organizations and households navigate the temporary federal...

NDIA Announces Emergency Broadband Benefit Webpage

NDIA is happy to announce our EBB webpage filled with materials intent on helping the unconnected fully understand this federal broadband subsidy. EBB is the first time the federal government invested in broadband adoption in a targeted, significant way. NDIA...

More Replicable Digital Navigators Tools Now Available!

In the Fall of 2020 NDIA partnered with the Salt Lake City Public Library and Urban Libraries Council to bridge the Digital Divide in Salt Lake City through the launch of a Digital Navigators pilot project. To prepare for direct service in December 2020, program...

FCC Releases EBB Rules

The FCC has confirmed and released the rules on the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. The EBB program will provide eligible households with subsidies up to $50 a month for internet service ($75 a month for tribal households) and up to $100 for devices. To...

Why We Need Community Based Outreach For EBB

Recently, NDIA filed reply comments to the FCC focusing on the need for community-based outreach of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. According to the language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the FCC has exactly sixty days from the...

The Need for EBB Community-Based Outreach

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a $3.2 billion provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act which will reimburse internet service providers (ISPs) for providing broadband service and devices to low-income households. However, Congress did not allocate...

Emergency Broadband Benefit: What We Know So Far

The Emergency Broadband Benefit program is a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act slated for $3.2 billion to reimburse internet service providers (ISPs) $10 to $50 a month for providing broadband service and up to $100 for providing devices to low-income...

NDIA Releases COVID Relief Bill Overview

We offer this overview to help digital inclusion practitioners determine how they might access resources that are a result of the recent COVID relief legislation. Programmatic rules and processes will not be in place for multiple months.  NDIA commits to updating our...

Covid Relief includes $3.2B Emergency Broadband Benefit

Today is a big day. Congress is about to pass a stimulus package that includes $3.2 billion for an Emergency Broadband Benefit and other initiatives that could impact digital inclusion work. The text of the legislation has not been released yet but here is our...