[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 66 (Thursday, April 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20502-20503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07133]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Digital Equity RFC Listening Sessions

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of open meetings.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) will convene four virtual listening sessions on the Digital 
Equity Act Request for Comment. The listening sessions are designed to 
collect stakeholder input to help inform the development and 
administration of the State Digital Equity Capacity and State Digital 
Equity Competitive grant programs.

DATES: The listening sessions will be held on April 10, 17, 24, and 29, 
2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The session will be held virtually, with online slide share 
and dial-in information to be posted at https://www.internetforall.gov/calendar.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please direct questions regarding this 
Notice to [email protected], indicating ``DE RFC Listening 
Session'' in the subject line, or if by mail, addressed to National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 
202-482-3806. Please direct media inquiries to Virginia Bring, (202) 
594-6254, or NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background and Authority: Recognizing the internet's fundamental 
role in today's society and its centrality to our nation's continued 
health and prosperity, the Biden-Harris Administration will work to 
ensure that every community in America has access to affordable, 
reliable, high-speed internet service. On November 15, 2021, President 
Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 \1\ 
into law, also known (and referred to subsequently herein) as the 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes a historic investment of 
$65 billion to help close the digital divide and ensure that everyone 
in America has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet 
service. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), is responsible for distributing more than $48 billion in 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding through several different 
programs, including the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act of 2021 
Program.
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    \1\ Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (November 15, 2021).
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    The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted what many have known for a very 
long time: High-speed internet access is not a luxury, but a basic 
necessity for all Americans. Since the pandemic, telehealth access and 
use has expanded and the workplace is changing as more workers are 
choosing to work from home. Passed on a bipartisan basis in both 
chambers of Congress, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated 
$42.45 billion to create the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment 
Program (BEAD), $1 billion to create the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband 
Infrastructure Program, $2 billion to help tribal communities expand 
high-speed internet access and adoption on tribal lands, and $2.75 
billion (through the Digital Equity Act of 2021 (Digital Equity Act), 
also passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) to advance 
federal goals relating to digital equity \2\ and digital inclusion.\3\ 
These programs administered by NTIA are designed to work in tandem with 
other high-speed internet programs, including the Affordable 
Connectivity Program, which provides up to $30 per month toward 
internet service for qualifying households and up to $75 per month for 
households on qualifying Tribal lands. With the passage of the 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress took a significant step forward 
in achieving the Biden-Harris Administration's goal of ensuring that 
all Americans not only have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed 
internet service but also the skills and resources needed for full 
participation in the society and economy of the United States.
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    \2\ Section 60302(10) of the IIJA defines ``digital equity'' as 
``the condition in which individuals and communities have the 
information technology capacity that is needed for full 
participation in the society and economy of the United States.''
    \3\ Section 60302(11) of the IIJA Law defines ``digital 
inclusion'' as ``(A) . . . the activities that are necessary to 
ensure that all individuals in the United States have access to, and 
the use of, affordable information and communication technologies, 
such as--(i) reliable fixed and wireless broadband internet service; 
(ii) internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user; and 
(iii) applications and online content designed to enable and 
encourage self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration; and 
(B) includes--(i) obtaining access to digital literacy training; 
(ii) the provision of quality technical support; and (iii) obtaining 
basic awareness of measures to ensure online privacy and 
cybersecurity.''
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    To help inform development and administration of the Digital Equity 
Act grant programs, NTIA has established multiple avenues for the 
public to offer input, including through a Request for Comment, 
published March 2nd, 2023, as well as these four public virtual 
listening sessions. This Notice is part of NTIA's strategy to engage 
with partners, stakeholders, and most importantly, individuals with 
lived experiences who faced challenges of having access to and/or the 
skills and devices to fully utilize affordable, reliable, high-speed 
internet, to help meet the President's goal to close the digital divide 
and transform the lives of all Americans. This is America's opportunity 
to harness the talents and strengths of all parts of our country and 
remove systemic barriers and provide equal access to opportunities and 
benefits, so that everyone has a chance to reach their full potential. 
But in order to achieve this objective, we need to hear from you. This 
Notice provides an opportunity to provide direct responses to NTIA's 
Request for Comment via public listening sessions, and to inform how 
NTIA designs a program that works to achieve this national and 
community driven opportunity for change.

[[Page 20503]]

    Time and Date: The listening sessions will be held on April 10, 17, 
24, and 29, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. 
The exact time of the meeting is subject to change. Please refer to 
NTIA's website, https://www.internetforall.gov/calendar., for the most 
current information.
    Place: The meeting will be held virtually, with online slide share 
and dial-in information to be posted at https://www.internetforall.gov/calendar. Please refer to NTIA's website, https://www.internetforall.gov/calendar., for the most current information.
    Other Information: The meeting is open to the public and the press 
on a first-come, first-served basis. The virtual meeting is accessible 
to people with disabilities. Sign language interpretation and virtual 
real-time captioning will be available. Individuals requiring other 
ancillary aids should notify the Department at [email protected] 
at least seven (7) business days prior to the meeting. Access details 
for the meeting are subject to change. Please refer to NTIA's website, 
https://www.internetforall.gov/calendar., for the most current 
information.

Josephine Arnold,
Senior Attorney Advisor, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-07133 Filed 4-5-23; 8:45 am]
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