Policy Positions
NDIA Releases Our First-Ever Policy Priorities
It’s been 19 months since the world turned upside down with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the digital divide was shoved into the spotlight. Today we’re at a crossroads -- either we double down and holistically and sustainably invest in policies,...
U.S. House votes “Yes” on home broadband benefit and digital equity funding for states and communities
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 internet...
Wyden bill provides emergency internet assistance for laid-off workers, low income households, Pell students
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 workers recently...
New U.S. House broadband bill includes low-income payment help and digital inclusion funding
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
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
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, investments...
New rules from OCC: Banks can now get CRA credit for funding digital inclusion
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...
House Democrats’ COVID relief bill includes Emergency Broadband Benefit
The new, three trillion dollar COVID-19 relief proposal (the “HEROES act”) unveiled yesterday by Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives includes $8.8 billion to fund an Emergency Broadband Benefit for consumers who are eligible for Lifeline phone...
House Dems’ broadband plan is comprehensive: Includes digital equity funding, home internet payment help
Democratic Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Majority Whip James Clyburn (SC) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (NJ), yesterday announced the outline of a "Plan to Connect All Americans to Affordable Broadband Internet" that...
217 organizations, 100,000+ petition signers call for affordable broadband measures in COVID-19 stimulus
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance today joined 216 other public interest, government, industry, civil rights, rural advocacy, and academic groups -- alongside schools and libraries -- in a letter to Congressional leaders calling for forthcoming COVID-19 stimulus...