District of Columbia Broadband Office

More NTIA news for this week: the agency has officially accepted the District of Columbia's Digital Equity plan. DC’s strategy for digital equity was developed with a $463,126.00 grant from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program. The plan focuses on addressing and mitigating disparities in digital access, enhancing digital skills, and making digital tools more affordable for its residents. A draft version dated November 2023 is available as PDF here and attached below.The plan finds 11% of DC residents lacking confidence in basic online activities, with around 88,000 residents without broadband subscriptions due to affordability issues. To address these challenges, the plan proposes a multifaceted approach, including DC State Broadband and Digital Equity Office (DC SBDEO)-led programming, a digital equity grant program, public-private partnerships, and continuous stakeholder engagement. Specifically, the funding is intended to expand existing digital equity programs, establish new initiatives focused on digital literacy, adoption, online privacy, cybersecurity, accessibility, inclusivity, and increase broadband affordability and device access. The plan underscores the importance of collaboration across public, private, and non-profit sectors to achieve its vision of a digitally equitable DC where every resident and business can thrive in the digital age.DC has been slated by NTIA to receive $3.8 million (roughly) in Digital Equity Act funding, putting it near the bottom of the list of all U.S. states and territories, though with its relatively small population (~672,000) and footprint (68 square miles), this probably makes sense. Good news, Virginians, Marylanders, and DCers?? What do you think the $$ should be used for? @Shelita Jackson, @Jeff Conner, @Dee Anna Sobczak, @Elissa Bell, @Florent Magne, @Marcus Chambers, @Greg Guice, @Ron Drescher, @Scott Woods Jr, @Bonnie Bracey Sutton, @JD Darby, @Kasey McGee, @Karim Haddad, @Lindsay McKenzie, @John J Kearney, @Shannan Williams-Mitchem, @Keith Krueger, @Sudha Reynolds, @David Burns, @Rachna Vas, @Dana Sung, @Philip James Macres, @Barbara J KEATING, @Diana Villarreal, @Theadora Soter, @Megan Boswell, @Ashlan Gruwell, @Joseph Valandra, @Cheryl DeBerry, @Jeff Conner, @Charles Thomas, @Jonathan Peter, @Christina Kinne, @Derek Kelly, @Julie Kaylor, @KEITH WALKER, @Kathryn Laskey, @Crystal Duke, @Sara Johnson, @Jenny M Cord? DC_State Digital Equity Plan_Initial Draft.pdf

Here, you'll find key insights about District Of Columbia's broadband deployment, news, announcements, and application process updates.