FCC releases strategies, recommendations for digital inclusion

Building on its digital inclusion efforts since modernizing the Lifeline program to include broadband, the FCC released strategies and recommendations for the important work of breaking down the barriers to broadband access and adoption.

One in three Americans, or 105 million people, lacks broadband at home, and cost is a major reason. The FCC makes clear that access to broadband is essential for economic opportunity and social inclusion.

The FCC report underscores the critical importance of a broadband connection and details attempts by the federal government to facilitate access and adoption, like the National Broadband Plan and the Lifeline program update. It also highlights strategies for digital inclusion that have shown promise in the past and that will help inform others’ work going forward:

• Support continued efforts by ISPs to address digital inclusion.

• Tie public and private broadband adoption initiatives into existing government programs.

• Make digital literacy easily accessible to communities and co-locate classes with services that complement broadband.

• Encourage active investment in ubiquitous broadband adoption by philanthropic organizations and community foundations.

Read the full FCC report and recommendations here.

Link:

Strategies and Recommendations for Promoting Digital Inclusion (FCC, Jan. 11, 2017)