February 10, 2022

by Dan McCue

 

WASHINGTON — A new report from a Washington-based nonprofit offers a blueprint for how states and cities can most effectively address inequities in access to high-speed Internet with funding newly made available by the federal government.

Published by the New DealForum, “Bridging the Digital Divide: Policy Proposals to Increase Broadband Access for All,” calls for state and local policymakers to improve mapping and data collection, build new broadband networks in unserved and underserved communities, strive to innovate when it comes to affordability and adoption and enhance the digital skills in their respective communities.

Prepared by the Forum’s Broadband Task Force, the report highlights a number of case studies from states, counties….

For Immediate Release:

February 10, 2022

Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5, jonathon@newdealleaders.org

NewDEAL Forum Publishes Model Solutions to Improve Broadband Access

Broadband Task Force report provides guidance for state and local policymakers to use federal funds to close the digital divide

Washington, DC – Recognizing broadband access as an essential tool for work, school, healthcare, and more, the NewDEAL Forum today released a report highlighting promising policy solutions to increase access to high-speed internet and provide support for individuals and families to achieve their potential in today’s economy. In Bridging the Digital Divide: Policy Proposals to Increase Broadband Access for All, the Forum’s Broadband Task Force calls for state and local policymakers to:

• Improve mapping and data collection;
• Build new broadband networks in unserved and underserved communities;
• Innovate to address affordability and adoption;
• Enhance digital skills; and
• Increase access to telehealth

The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the consequences of the digital divide, with millions of Americans struggling to remain connected to school, services, and work. An unprecedented infusion of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address broadband provides states and localities an extraordinary opportunity to make targeted investments to close this divide. Co-chaired by Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Florida Senator Loranne Ausley, and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, the Task Force has issued its new report to spotlight case studies from states, counties, and cities that are making progress in overcoming barriers to provide reliable broadband to residents.

“The pandemic revealed more clearly than ever that far too many people lack broadband access, and that lack of access exacerbates the systemic racial and economic gaps we see in other areas,” write Gilchrist, Ausley, and Liccardo in the report’s introduction. “We learned how incomplete and inaccurate our connectivity maps have been and how we have misunderstood the problem. But now we’re learning how we can properly evaluate gaps in high-quality internet access and make targeted investments to address them at the federal, state, and local levels.”

 

View the full recommendations here.

A key theme of the report is the inequitable nature of the digital divide, recognizing that inadequate broadband disproportionately impacts people of color. The model initiatives and policy recommendations included by the Task Force would specifically address the needs of these communities.

Launched in mid-2021, the Task Force has brought together elected officials across the country who are leading efforts in their communities, as well as policy experts and private and non-profit organizations. The group has been active in national policy discussions, sending a letter to the Treasury to press for the expanded use of American Rescue Plan funding for more broadband projects, and advocating for more accurate maps of where high-speed internet access currently exists.

“We are grateful to all of the participants who helped us understand the key challenges our country faces, offered guidance, and shared best practices” said the Task Force Co-chairs. “The initiatives outlined here provide a blueprint for how other states and cities can tackle their broadband needs and inequities with new federal funds.”

The Policy Group now moves into a phase of working toward implementation of these recommendations across the country, including by engaging with the Forum’s sister organization, the NewDEAL — a network of 200 of the most innovative state and local officials across the country, including Gilchrist, Ausley, and Liccardo, who are chosen for their forward-thinking, results-driven approach to governing.

“The work of our co-chairs and partner organizations has provided a platform for leaders and organizations to promote some of the most promising work taking place across the country,” said Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO of the NewDEAL Forum. “With unprecedented bipartisan political will and infusion of federal funding as a result of the pandemic, we cannot miss this moment to get all Americans online, and it will be up to state and local leaders to implement initiatives that will close the digital divide once and for all.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the critical need for equitable broadband access in the United States,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01). “That’s why the New Democrat Coalition fought for and secured $65 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve our nation’s broadband infrastructure and help Americans access this essential 21st century tool. Across federal, state, and local levels of government, officials are showing good governance can work by coming together to implement this crucial funding and bridge the digital divide.”

About the NewDEAL Forum

The NewDEAL Forum is a non-profit organization which identifies and promotes innovative, future-oriented state and local pro-growth progressive policies that can improve the lives of all Americans. By facilitating the identification and spread of policy ideas, the NewDEAL Forum seeks to foster economic growth, reduce barriers to opportunity and promote good government in communities and states. The Forum advances its mission by researching, identifying, and sharing state and local pro-growth progressive policy ideas and bringing together public, private, and non-profit sector policy experts to exchange ideas and discuss the country’s biggest challenges.

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As we mark one year since the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, the memory of that day must strengthen the resolve of leaders who care about the health of our democracy to protect the right of every eligible American to vote and to ensure the results of those votes are respected. The riot on January 6, 2021, was the most visible part of a continuing effort to disrupt our elections, and our democratic system.

The vitriolic political environment that fostered the Insurrection last January has also led to unprecedented attacks on our elected leaders. In this week’s episode of the NewDEAL podcast An Honorable Profession, Mayor Brandon Whipple (Wichita, KS) talks about the foiled plot last year to kidnap and kill him, and how he stays grounded in the mindset that public service is bigger than him and instead “about what (he) can do to make a difference for the greater good.”

In this challenging environment, state and local leaders across the country are on the frontlines fighting to make government work, improve access to voting, and oppose policies that allow partisans to overrule election results.

On behalf of our nearly 200 member state and local elected officials, the NewDEAL applauds efforts, including by the January 6 Committee, to hold responsible those who encouraged and inflamed the violence on January 6 and urges the passage of federal legislation to protect the right to vote and maintain the integrity of our elections.

State broadband leaders see opportunity for transformational change with at least $100 million coming to each state from the infrastructure law’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. States are in planning stages as NTIA prepares to distribute funding, said officials and other experts in interviews after President Joe Biden signed the bill Nov. 15 (see 2111150074).

The infrastructure law’s $65 billion for broadband includes $42.45 billion for NTIA grants to states. BEAD will send at least $100 million for each state and $20 million per territory for expansion or affordability. States can get more, “allocated by need, primarily based” on unserved numbers, said an NTIA fact sheet. The law prescribes a formula, requires NTIA to base unserved designation on new FCC broadband maps, and gives NTIA 180 days to issue a notice of funding opportunity, said an agency spokesperson, adding NTIA is working to release a request for comments soon.

States’ bigger role is welcome, said Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D) and Florida Sen. Loranne Ausley (D), co-chairs of progressive NewDEAL Forum Broadband Task Force. Some past support mechanisms sent money to industry. “Everybody is not yet connected, which means that we need more people and more collaborators at the table, including the state,” Gilchrist told us. States know best because they’re close to the problem, said Ausley in a separate interview.

Gilchrist said $100 million could be “transformational” for Michigan, bringing fast connections to 400,000 Michiganders in rural, urban and suburban communities. Michigan established a High-Speed Internet Office this year that will be the state’s single point of contact, he said. Expanding broadband is “important and urgent,” said Gilchrist: “We want to be smart” and “move responsibly” but also quickly. Michigan will closely watch NTIA to see how much money it can get beyond the base, said Gilchrist. “We will be offering input and suggestions … about how those resources can be most effectively invested here. … We’re certainly advocating for everything we can get.”

“This is critical funding,” agreed Ausley, who represents 10 rural counties. Considering state legislators “passed a grant program last year and did not fund it at all, $100 million would go a long way.” She expects Florida will get more given its population. State spending will probably be directed by Florida’s broadband office, which should complete a state map by June, she said.

Read more on Communications Daily

Violent and other crime continues to plague many cities and counties nationwide. Government officials recently gathered at The NewDEAL’s annual leaders conference to discuss these issues and solutions to the problems, including employing federal relief funds, boosting community involvement, and decreasing the number of false arrests.

Here are some of the ways Washington D.C., St. Louis, and Columbus, Ohio are working on improving public safety in their communities:

Washington, D.C.

At the City Summit Event, Marcus Ellis, chief of staff at the Safer, Stronger D.C. Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, spoke about reimagining public safety and what that could look like for his city.

ONSE addresses violence in Washington D.C., while assisting families dealing with the grief and trauma caused by these occurrences. Its core values are social justice, equity, youth voice, collaboration, and innovation.