- Rating Low-Cost Internet Plans
- FCC Updates Broadband Data Collection
- BEAD Funding Initial Proposal Approvals Continue
- Tennessee Libraries Expand Digital Skills Training
- Oakland Receives $15M for Infrastructure
- Free Wi-Fi Service in Raleigh, N.C.
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing digital equity, has unveiled a new rating system to evaluate the quality and affordability of Internet plans.
The system, titled NDIA Grading Internet for Good (GIG), evaluates Internet plans based on cost, transparency, speed, data caps, latency, throttling, technology type and eligibility criteria.
The system assigns a score of “Good,” “Better” or “Best” based on a scoring system with 18 possible points; the ratings are for 1-8 points, 9-12 points and 13-18 points, respectively.
A major factor in the creation of this system was the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Before that program was established, Internet providers sometimes offered low-cost plans for eligible households, but these options were varied and not usually offered by smaller providers. The ACP created a new standard for affordable Internet service. NDIA GIG aims to leverage lessons learned from the ACP to educate digital inclusion stakeholders about the options available to combat disparities exposed in the wake of the federal subsidy program.
The GIG system offers an alternative standard of affordability and creates an incentive for providers to offer an affordable plan option. It also acts as an informational resource for digital inclusion organizations, practitioners, digital navigators and public interest organizations.
The rating rubric can be found on the GIG web page. NDIA has reviewed low-cost plans from providers including AT&T Access, Comcast Internet Essentials, Spectrum and Verizon; it will review more as they become available. Currently, Comcast Xfinity’s Internet Essentials plan, its Internet Essentials Plus plan, and DigitalC’s Canopy plan hold the “Best” GIG rating.
NDIA has also updated its Honor Roll of Low-Cost Internet Plans web page to include GIG ratings for 10 providers. The page is intended to help any stakeholder interested in learning about low-cost Internet options, from consumers to digital inclusion practitioners.
This isn’t the only recent NDIA announcement impacting digital equity work. In May, it released a 144-page guide to support states in the deployment of federal funding from the Digital Equity Act. NDIA also recently said it will bring digital equity stakeholders together in May 2025 at its annual Net Inclusion event in the Gila River Indian Community.
In federal digital equity news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is updating its broadband data collection processes. This work dates back to the FCC’s February 2021 launch of the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) effort. The latest announcement marks its action to further improve this process.
Specifically, the FCC in its Fourth Report and Order has adopted rules to codify the challenge process deadline in alignment with the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It also authorized the Office of Economics and Analytics to conduct audits of provider-submitted broadband data as required under the Broadband DATA Act. Minor edits are made to the BDC. The FCC is actively seeking comment on proposed changes to the data collection process. The goal is to create a more accurate database, which can be visualized through the FCC’s broadband map.
“Thanks to this iterative process, the map is always improving,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement, underlining that lessons learned shape the ongoing changes.
At the state level, two more states have had their initial proposals approved for Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding as of Thursday morning. The program is a $42.45 billion state grant program enacted through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
This week, Rhode Island and Hawaii are the latest in a series of states to see these proposals accepted. Last week, Indiana and Maryland saw their proposals accepted.
Through the BEAD program, Hawaii was allocated over $149 million and Rhode Island was allocated over $108 million. These approvals enable BEAD-eligible entities to access funding and begin BEAD program implementation.
In other state news, this week, a group of Tennessee state senators announced Training Opportunities for the Public (TOP) Grants for public libraries in Greene County. The grants, totaling nearly $10,000, can be used to implement digital literacy training, purchase hot spots and solar charging stations, and expand Internet access at facilities. More than $394,000 in TOP grants is expected to be awarded this year to 60 Tennessee libraries.
Public libraries play an essential role in bridging the digital divide, especially in an age when the vast majority of jobs require digital skills.
“This grant funding will allow libraries to continue offering high-quality programs and services to all members of the community,” State Sen. Steve Southerland said in a news release.
At the local level, the city of Oakland, Calif., has received a $15 million grant through the $2 billion Last Mile Federal Funding Account Grant Program. The award was granted by the California Public Utilities Commission and is intended to support the city’s work to bridge the digital divide.
Oakland’s endeavors here are very much ongoing, from its #OaklandUndivided campaign aimed at expanding Internet access for students in the community, to partnering with community organizations. More recently, the city announced plans to offer free Internet to families living in public housing.
"This represents the culmination of years of collaboration between the city of Oakland, Oakland Unified School District, Oakland Housing Authority and many trusted community partners,” said Patrick Messac, director of OaklandUndivided, in the announcement.
In other local news, the city of Raleigh, N.C., has launched free Wi-Fi at Peach Road Park. Residents can access the Wi-Fi by agreeing to the terms and conditions. Users are encouraged to provide feedback through the “Get Connected” form.
The service is being offered on a trial basis through March 2025 as part of the Smart Raleigh initiative. At that time, officials will evaluate the data and feedback to determine whether to continue, or even expand, the service.
The city’s partners on the project included Networking for Future, Cisco, Signify and T-Mobile.