Giving Compass' Take:

• The Digital Equity Act of 2019 will expand internet access to neighborhoods that currently do not have access, helping families across the U.S. breach the digital divide. 

• Proponents of the bill say that it will help families collaborate and communities to build capacity. How is access to the internet now a community development issue? 

• Here are three ways to tackle digital equity. 

Proponents of digital learning, as well as those committed to closing the nation's “homework gap,” rejoiced when the U.S. Senate introduced a bill that would invest hundreds of millions of dollars to expand broadband access in communities that currently lack it.

Most Americans who cannot access the internet on a daily basis come from underrepresented and historically marginalized communities, including individuals with disabilities, from low-income backgrounds and those living in rural areas. The same holds for U.S. students without home internet access, many of whom are now expected to use digital learning every day to access class materials and complete homework assignments.

The Digital Equity Act of 2019 would create two new annual grant programs—one formula grant, one competitive—of $125 million each, to be distributed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

The grants would seek to help all 50 states, along with Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, create and implement digital equity plans, launch digital inclusion projects and support evidence-based research to measure the effectiveness of both.

“There’s been a lot of build-up to it, a lot of organizations collaborating on it,” Fox tells EdSurge. “We believe this [bill] is important because it does go beyond the boxes and wires of broadband implementation, and really gets at building capacity. Most specifically, it can positively impact education for off-campus access and collaboration in communities, and can support both parents and students.”

Fox hopes that, if passed, the bill would provide alternatives—such as libraries and community centers—for kids who are used to going to fast-food restaurants or local coffee shops to get online and finish their homework.

Read the full article about Digital Equity Act by Emily Tate at EdSurge.