All 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., have had their digital equity plans accepted by the NTIA. These acceptances have been rolling in over several months, beginning with Maine in February. The final states to have their plans accepted were Mississippi, Colorado, Utah, Iowa, New Mexico and Illinois on April 11, according to GovTech.
The plans were created with support from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, which provided funding to states. Digital equity work has just begun for states. Their plans outline the work ahead of them.
On March 29, NTIA unveiled a $1.44 billion Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, which will help support the implementation of these plans. It’s the second of three digital equity programs funded through the Digital Equity Act. This program will help make funds available to put the plans into action, notes GovTech.
A Notice of Funding Opportunity establishes a process to make funds from this program available to native entities to carry out their own digital inclusion work consistent with the Digital Equity Act. Proposed projects must include measurable objectives. The Act provided $2.75 billion to create the plans.
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