Alabama released a draft of its Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment initial proposal on November 14.

It was part of a wave of states and territories that began seeking public comment on their drafts in recent weeks. All 56 have now done so.

After a 30-day comment period, states and territories are required to submit their proposals to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration by December 27. The proposals come in two volumes: volume one details how states will ground-truth broadband coverage data, and volume two outlines states’ plans for administering grant programs with their BEAD funds.

Volume one

The state is planning to adopt the NTIA’s model challenge process to accept and adjudicate claims of incorrect broadband data. The Federal Communications Commission’s largely provider-reported coverage map was used to allocate BEAD money, but is not considered accurate enough to determine which specific locations lack broadband.

Local governments, nonprofits, and broadband providers are able to submit those challenges on behalf of consumers under the model process. 

Alabama is also electing to use one of the NTIA’s optional modifications to the model process. The state’s broadband office will designate all homes and businesses receiving broadband from copper telephone lines as “underserved” – and thus eligible for BEAD-funded infrastructure. The move is an effort to replace older technology with the higher speed fiber-optic cable favored by the program.

The state will administer two optional challenge types the NTIA laid out: area and MDU challenges. States are not required to use these, but most are planning to do so.

An area challenge is initiated if six or more locations in a census block group challenge the same technology from the same provider with sufficient evidence. The provider is then required to show evidence they provide the reported service to every location in the census block group, or the entire area will be opened up to BEAD funds.

An MDU, or multiple dwelling unit, challenge is triggered when three units or 10 percent of the total units in an apartment building challenge a provider’s service. It again flips the burden of proof, requiring providers to prove they give the reported service for the entire building, not just units that submit challenges.

Alabama’s broadband office is requesting a waiver from the NTIA’s rule around enforceable commitments from other funding programs. The state wants areas set to get broadband from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to be considered unserved for the purposes of BEAD.

That fund, the state argues, has a deployment deadline too far in the future – six to eight years to BEAD’s four years – and is too prone to defaults to be a reliable alternative to BEAD.

Volume two

Alabama does not expect to have any of its $1.4 billion BEAD allocation left over after funding broadband infrastructure.

The state is planning to award that money in a single round of grant applications, but may administer a second, according to its proposal.

Like most states, Alabama won’t be setting a high-cost threshold before looking over all BEAD grant applications. That’s the price point at which the state will look to non-fiber technologies to serve the most expensive, hardest to reach areas.

Alabama’s broadband office is seeking comment on using the NTIA’s updated financing guidance, but plans on implementing it.

That updated guidance allows options which tie up less capital, like performance bonds. BEAD rules initially required a 25 percent letter of credit, which advocates and lawmakers warned could prevent small providers from participating in the program. 

The public comment period for Alabama’s initial proposal is open until December 14.

WASHINGTON, November 20, 2023 – Better data about broadband adoption is necessary to closing the digital divide in the U.S., a broadband expert said during a panel at the Connect20 Summit here.

Speaking on a panel about “The Power of Navigation Services,” the expert, Jessica Dine of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said states lack comprehensive data on why some residents remain offline. This information is essential for digital navigator programs to succeed, she said.

She highlighted the need for standardized national metrics on digital literacy and inclusion, and said that federal surveys – including the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey – provide insights on barriers to technology adoption. But more granular data is required.

She also said that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Internet Use Survey doesn’t delve deeply enough into why people choose not to adopt the internet. For instance, understanding the nuances behind the ‘not interested’ response category could unveil targeted intervention strategies.

In particular, Dine praised Louisiana and Delaware for surveying communities on their connectivity needs, including overlaying socio-economic indicators with broadband deployment data. But she said more work is required to quantify the precise challenges different populations face.

Other panelists at the session, including Michelle Thornton of the State University of New York at Oswego, emphasized the importance of tracking on-the-ground efforts by navigators themselves.

Bringing in her experience from the field of healthcare navigation, Thornton underscored the value of tracking navigator activities and outcomes. She suggested a collaborative model where state-level data collection is supplemented by detailed, community-level insights from digital navigators.

The panel was part of the Connect20 Summit held in Washington and organized by Network On, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, and Broadband Breakfast.

The session was moderated by Comcast’s Kate Allison, executive director of research and digital equity at Comcast.

To stay involved with the Digital Navigator movement, sign up at the Connect20 Summit.

WASHINGTON, November 20, 2023 — A panel discussion at the Connect20 Summit here on Tuesday emphasized the importance of digital skills in enhancing connectivity and ensuring equitable access to technology.

Caroline Treschitta, a policy analyst at the National Skills Coalition, underscored the necessity of foundational digital skills for workforce development. She highlighted the Coalition’s focus on lifelong upskilling and reskilling, particularly in response to labor market shifts like the pandemic. Citing statistics from Indiana, she said one digital skill could result in a 23% wage increase, or the equivalent to an additional $8,000 to $9,000 annually.

She also said that one in three youth also lack foundational digital competency.

Chrissie Powell, chief growth and impact officer at the digital skills training group Byte Back detailed the organization’s efforts at tech inclusion focused on historically marginalized communities.

Byte Back’s approach begins with basic digital literacy, such as teaching how to power on a computer and safely navigate the internet, she said, extending to more advanced skills like Microsoft Office and IT fundamentals. Powell emphasized the significance of building confidence alongside skills to overcome fear, a major barrier in technology adoption.

Graham Jackson, social media and content analyst at Human IT, spoke about the organization’s national digital equity efforts, including providing reliable devices, internet connectivity, and digital skills training. He also mentioned the non-profit’s work in integrating financial literacy into digital skills programs, illustrating the connectedness of multiple technical skills to the domain of digital inclusion.

Representing the Ashbury Senior Computer Community Center, Gina Birch highlighted the organization’s work in digital literacy for seniors. The group has adapted its approach to cater to the varying skill levels of older adults. Burch also discussed the need for ongoing tech support and the evolution of training methods to keep pace with changing demographics and technological advancements.

The panelists called for increased funding and resources and emphasized that digital literacy is the bridge to workforce development as well as an integral part of social determinants of health.

The session was moderated by Yvette Scorse, communications director at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. NDIA, Network On and Broadband Breakfast organized the Connect20 Summit.

To stay involved with the Digital Navigator movement, sign up at the Connect20 Summit.