The recent elimination of Digital Equity Act (DEA) Program has been roundly condemned by members of the digital skills community.
The Digital Equity Act was established as a $2.75 billion federal program designed to expand internet access, providing affordable devices and delivering digital literacy training to underserved communities. But early in June, newly minted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced the elimination of the DEA program as part of an overhaul of the NTIA’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) rules to prioritize speed, cost efficiency and technology neutrality.
A letter on behalf of 140 organizations, who would have performed the digital inclusion work, urged Commerce Secretary Lutnick to reinstate the DEA, according to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).
“We have a proven track record of helping members of our communities overcome the obstacles that keep them offline,” the NDIA letter reads. “If the funding is reinstated, our shovel-ready projects will help disconnected people in rural, suburban, urban, and Tribal communities in all 56 US States and Territories access telehealth services, strengthen small businesses, increase government efficiency, learn new AI skills, and advance our communities’ economic competitiveness.”
Jessica Dine, policy analyst at New America’s Open Technology Institute and Wireless Future, opined that the cancellation of the DEA program is at direct odds with the goal of the BEAD program.
“Building broadband infrastructure — the cables and wires that allow people to access the internet in the first place — is only one part of closing the digital divide; ensuring people subscribe to the service is the other,” Dine wrote. “Addressing non-infrastructural barriers — like the cost of a subscription, availability of connected devices, and the inability to safely navigate online services — is necessary to ensure people can actually get online with the networks that are built.”
The American Library Association wrote of its concerns regarding DEA’s demise. “Broadband is a human right, and broadband access is core to modern life and success for school, work, healthcare, civic participation and social connections,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl.
JSI, a rural broadband network engineering firm, wrote that the Administration’s actions leave state broadband offices with completed strategic plans but without the resources to execute them.
“The real-world impact is already evident in states like Maine, which now faces the loss of $35 million that was allocated for state-coordinated initiatives to expand internet access, provide affordable devices, and deliver digital literacy training to underserved communities,” the firm wrote.
President Trump has called the DEA program “racist and illegal,” but the National Skills Coalition has statistics that show the DEA cuts could be a part of a larger government move away from federal funding of skills training and supportive services. For example, Make America Skilled Again programs have seen their funding drop from $9.13 billion in 2001 to $2.96 billion in the current budget proposal.
“While apprenticeships receive modest attention, key investments in training, education, broadband, childcare, and equity are either eliminated or severely reduced,” the NSC wrote. “Unfortunately, we can’t cut our way to prosperity. A competitive economy demands more investment in skills training and supportive services, not less.”
NTIA BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice aims to make the program more cost-efficient, competitive, and quicker to deploy. However, it does this by stepping back from important aspects like equity, planning, and regulatory frameworks that support broader societal goals. Some appreciate these changes for their economic practicality, others express concerns that prioritizing speed shouldn’t compromise long-term digital equity, community involvement, or the quality of networks.
