The Federal Communications Commission's Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC) and its Media Bureau are holding an online seminar and town hall on closing the digital skills divide.
The Biden administration has made it clear its definition of broadband affordability includes a host of elements, including digital literacy (as well as price, competition, affordability and quality).
The FCC said it would hold the event September 22 from noon to 4 p.m.
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The seminar is meant to provide stakeholders with a sense of what federal and state governments, nonprofits, community organizations and others — the FCC did not cite commercial providers — can do to close the digital literacy divide.
Among the topics of discussion will be the Digital Literacy Act, the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program and the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The Biden administration, with the help of Congress, has approved tens of billions of dollars toward broadband deployment and access, most of it to the states. That funding includes money for digital literacy and training.
Seminar topics will include how “equity” and “underserved” populations should be defined and the importance of states adopting their own digital equity plans.
Town-hall topics will include breaking down silos between commercial providers, nonprofits and government; lessons learned from the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program; and building the case for diversity as the key to closing the digital skills gap. ▪️
