- Net Inclusion 2024 Finds New Location
- National Tribal Telecommunications Association Event Set for August
- More State Leaders React to Federal Broadband Funding Allocations
- UN Human Rights Council Hears Importance of Digital Inclusion
- Tech Goes Home Releases Impact Report for 2022
- Washington to Host Monthly Meetings on $1.2B Federal Funding Rollout
NET INCLUSION 2024 FINDS NEW LOCATION
Net Inclusion 2024 will take place in Philadelphia, organizers have announced.
The event — which is the premiere digital inclusion gathering in the country — was originally slated for Chattanooga, Tenn., and a move was announced at the end of April due to safety concerns for the LGBTQIA+ community. The event is slated for Feb. 13 through Feb. 15. It is hosted by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
“Get ready for an inclusive, community-focused, safe, fun time at the premiere #digitalinclusion conference in the country,” organizers wrote in a tweet announcing the new destination.
Net Inclusion 2023 was the high-water mark for the event, which was first started in 2016. With society writ large focused on digital equity, the event drew record attendance, topping 800 people, more than double its previous high of 330 attendees. A member of President Joe Biden’s cabinet even stopped by with exciting digital inclusion news.
On the 2024 event’s webpage, organizers promise “to break all those records.” (Zack Quaintance)
NATIONAL TRIBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION EVENT SET FOR AUGUST
In other digital equity event news, the National Tribal Telecommunications Association has announced that it will be holding a Tribal Broadband Summit in August.
That event will take place at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, Gila River Indian Community, in Chandler, Ariz. Registration is open now, and some of the activities will include a tribal broadband boot camp, a golf scramble, a tour of Gila River Telecommunications, a fiber-optic workshop, and more. The event is slated to run from Aug. 28 through Aug. 30.
More information — as well as the chance to register and attend — can be found on the event’s website. (Zack Quaintance)
MORE STATE LEADERS REACT TO FEDERAL BROADBAND FUNDING ALLOCATIONS
Last week, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the allocation of funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program for expanding access to high-speed Internet. Since then, state officials have continued to celebrate the funding and anticipate its impact for their constituents.
In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards said the $1.3 billion the state will be getting will accelerate the growth of the state’s economy and increase access to education and health care.
In Texas, Comptroller Glenn Hegar touted the potential impact of the $3.3 billion the state was allocated — the largest share of any state. Hegar said this funding will help the state meet the unique challenges of a vast and geographically diverse landscape.
In Colorado, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet celebrated the state’s $826 million allocation in an op-ed, calling it a “once-in-a-generation investment.” (Julia Edinger)
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL HEARS IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL INCLUSION
In a panel discussion held by the Human Rights Council this week, experts underlined the significance of digital literacy as a component of the right to freedom of expression.
As United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif stated, digital, media and information literacy can enable individuals to exercise a range of human rights, such as the right to share and receive information and ideas.
In a statement, special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan argued that freedom of expression in the digital age is threatened by online disinformation and hate speech; to counter these challenges, governments must invest in digital literacy. (Julia Edinger)
TECH GOES HOME RELEASES IMPACT REPORT FOR 2022
The nonprofit organization Tech Goes Home, which aims to help communities access digital literacy training and devices, has released a 2022 Impact Report. The report, created by surveying 461 program graduates, found that a greater percentage of graduates had Internet one year after their program than prior to it.
In addition, over half of program graduates use the digital skills they gained in the program in their current job. Seventy-four percent of graduates leveraged their new devices and skills to access telehealth. Ninety-one percent have used their new digital skills to communicate using email, and 87 percent have communicated using video chat platforms. (Julia Edinger)
WASHINGTON TO HOST MONTHLY MEETINGS ON $1.2B FEDERAL FUNDING ROLLOUT
Finally, the Washington State Broadband Office has announced that it will host monthly meetings related to the federal funding rollout.
This comes — after noted above — following the recent announcement of the BEAD program’s specific state allocations, $1.23 billion of which is going to Washington, with the goal of getting all of the state’s residents connected to high-speed Internet. The Washington State Broadband Office is hosting monthly webinars on the fourth Wednesday of the month through the end of December.
Through these webinars, the state will provide updates on its plans for investing the funds in high-speed Internet infrastructure for unserved or underserved communities. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions as well as to share some of the challenges their own communities may be facing.
More information can be found here. (Zack Quaintance)
