The Trump administration continues to oppose agenda with cost-cutting, and efforts nationwide to end the digital divide.
On May 8, President Donald Trump sent a speech to Truth Social, who directed the end of the Biden-Harris Age Digital Fair Act. Trump called the plan (distributed $2.75 billion to the digital inclusion program) “racist” and “illegal.” Last week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) abruptly terminated grants from 20 different state programs in the bill, including digital access in K-12 schools, senior and senior programs, and rural connectivity efforts.
The National Association for Leading Educational Technology (SETDA) called the decision a “major setback” to the general visit target. “SETDA stands with our state members and partner organizations who have been working to build inclusive broadband and digital access programs rooted in community needs, engagement and systematic transformation. Equal technology access is not a partisan issue, it is the public interest.”
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The decision shows that existing broadband and digital connectivity efforts are managed or funded by the federal government. Since most people serve specific communities and demographics, which have the highest risk of technological disconnection or leaving behind, they enter the crosshairs of the government’s “attack on” Crusaders. For example, Indigenous connectivity advocates warn that President Trump will immediately have an immediate impact on rural broadband projects that are destroying the foundations, as the president also promises to shake the FCC and reduce federal spending.
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“The end of the Digital Fair Act is continuing efforts to bridge the digital divide in the U.S., as well as potentially drastic changes in the Broadband Access and Deployment Program (Bead) program,” said Sharayah Lane, senior consultant for Community Connectivity, a global nonprofit organization. “This will seriously impact the future of affordable, reliable, high-speed internet access in underserved areas, further limiting essential education, healthcare and economic opportunities.”
The Biden administration promises to build a billion-dollar federal government for building U.S. high-speed broadband and fiber networks, making digital division a core component of its massive federal spending package, including launching an affordable connectivity program, a tribal broadband connectivity program and bead launch. In particular, the Bead Fund is allocated among state broadband infrastructure projects, including more than $1.9 billion. But now these funds are being withdrawn from under them.
Since Trump took office, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has a $42 billion bead budget and has erroneously claimed that the plan “didn’t connect a person to the internet” but was “a mission of awakening” under the previous presidency.
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Meanwhile, Trump strives to open auctions of sought-after spectrum bands under its “a big beautiful bill” to serve WiFi, 5G and 6G projects – a move that could make rural connectivity projects focus on building reliable physical connections to high-speed internet. Advocates have long been making federal investments in fiber optic cables and broadband for “missing central mileage” rather than unstable satellite connections, such as those promised by Elon Musk’s Starlink.
“We need to prioritize investment in sustainable infrastructure through programs such as the Bead and the Digital Fairness Act to ensure long-term, affordable internet access for all Americans, strengthen the economy, and enhance the overall digital resilience of the United States,” Ryan said.
