Raimondo Cites Broadband Money as Way to Address Equity Issues
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo cited a need to "make sure we change" the ongoing lack of broadband in tribal and rural communities during a Thursday White House event to roll out Biden administration equity action plans. Commerce aims to address…
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"digital inequalities to promote not only the availability of reliable, affordable high speed broadband access but also the adoption and meaningful use of broadband for all Americans," the department's action plan said. It cited the rollout of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives within NTIA's Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth as an early accomplishment of that goal. The White House cited NTIA's implementation of more than $48 billion in connectivity money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as one way the administration is acting to address equity, noting the money will "help close the digital divide, particularly for rural and Tribal communities." DOD, meanwhile, is "advancing the safe and equitable use of" AI technology "to mitigate algorithmic bias by investing in agency-wide responsible AI development and investing in the development of a more diverse AI workforce, including through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)," the White House said.