Home / Kansas Office of Broadband: Digital Equity Act

Digital Opportunities in Kansas

The Digital Equity Act provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. They aim to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy. We recognize that to connect all Kansans, communities must also have the ability to access, devices to use and skills to support appropriate digital use. Kansas submitted our Five – Year Strategic Plan for public comment in early October. Currently the plan is being reviewed for final approval from our federal funding partners. Once approved, we will share the final draft on the DEA plan page.

Digital Equity Strategic Plan – Press Release

DEA Plan Page

Digital Equity Plan

Digital Inclusion Week

ACP Resources

Advisory Board

Digital Equity Plan

Digital Inclusion Week

ACP Resources

Advisory Board

Digital Inclusion Week | October 2-6, 2023

National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) has celebrated this week for eight years as an annual week of awareness, recognition, and celebration for those that work in and support the mission of access, affordability and adoption.

Kansas Office of Broadband is encouraging everyone to engage, learn, share, and support digital equity activities in your communities. We are joining our partners in this work across the country to highlight solutions for affordable internet access, appropriate devices for all, and digital skills programs.

Anytime during the week, we encourage you to use our whiteboards to write why you support or see value in digital equity and access. Take a picture and share it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Digital Skills Training is Important Because…

Access to the Internet Matters Because…

Digital Opportunities are Important Because…

How did we celebrate?

Monday, October 2: KOBD will officially released our Digital Equity Plan for Public Comment. You can view the plan here. Please note the website will translate the plan into multiple languages and you can provide comment back to KOBD in Spanish and Vietnamese.

Tuesday, October 3: KOBD held a webinar on the importance of Public Comment for the Digital Equity Strategic Plan.

Wednesday, October 4: On WinsDay we wore *teal* for Digital Inclusion Week. Take a time out and share a brief video or photo of what digital opportunities mean to you. Use the hashtags #connectingallKansans #DIW2023 #BuildingConnectedCommunities Check out the suggested social toolkit from NDIA here.

Thursday, October 5: KOBD participated in Topeka Shawnee County Get Digital Listening Tour at the Sunflower Foundation. This session sought to understand and address the root cause(s) and the unique barriers stalling broadband deployment and adoption at the state and local level, and digital equity, the Federal Communication Commission’s Taskforce which works to prevent Digital Discrimination.

Friday, October 6: KOBD invited everyone to learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program. You or someone you know may qualify for a subsidy of $30 a month towards internet service. Bonus points if you learn more and become a digital navigator. Find out more at KOBD website under “resources tab.”

Opportunities to Support

Organization Doing Digital Inclusion Work

If you’re an organization doing digital inclusion work (i.e. nonprofit, library, housing, church, etc.), consider the following activities:

Host/co-host an event to help people sign up for affordable internet, get a device, and/or learn some digital skills
Invite influencers/leaders/elected officials to your event
Create a press release/media advisory about that event & get featured on the local news
Ask your city/town to issue a proclamation
Post on social media all week long and highlight your work

Individual Supporting Digital Inclusion Work

If you’re an individual who wants to support digital inclusion:

Post on social media to spread awareness of the cause and orgs that are making a difference in your community or nationally
Donate to a digital inclusion cause
Volunteer at a Digital Inclusion Week event
Take a direct policy action, like contacting your members of Congress about ACP (through FreePress)

Join NDIA for a Digital Inclusion Week event, including Digital Inclusion 101 for folks who are new to the movement
Sponsor a local event in your community
Volunteer at a local event
Donate devices or host a device drive for a local organization
Share your support on social media
Record a message from your leader sharing why digital inclusion is important – share on social media, with your employees, and with other partner companies

Government Entity

If you’re a local government that supports digital opportunities:

Post on social media to spread awareness of the cause and orgs that are making a difference in your community or nationally
Donate to a digital inclusion cause
Volunteer at a Digital Inclusion Week event
Take a direct policy action, like contacting your members of Congress about ACP (through FreePress)

Join NDIA for a Digital Inclusion Week event, including Digital Inclusion 101 for folks who are new to the movement
Sponsor a local event in your community
Volunteer at a local event
Donate devices or host a device drive for a local organization
Share your support on social media
Record a message from your leader sharing why digital inclusion is important – share on social media, with your employees, and with other partner companies

Digital Equity Strategic Plan

Across the state we encouraged residents, community organizations, businesses, and local authorities, to participate in the public comment period for the Digital Equity Strategic Plan. The document adheres to NTIA guidelines and includes a description of each requirement along with attachments, available for public inspection and comments.

The Digital Equity Strategic Plan outlines specific strategies and objectives to achieve its goals, including ensuring digital skills training, affordable service plans and broadband-ready devices are aligned as top priorities. This plan also emphasizes the transformative power of technology, which can positively impact various areas such as healthcare, education and civic engagement.

View the Plan Page

ACP News – Benefit Paused

Unfortunately, as of today, the benefit is paused – meaning new households are unable to sign up. It also means that enrolled households could see an unaffordable increase in their internet bills as early as April, when the funding is expected to run out.
Want to do more to advocate for the renewal of the ACP?
Check out the Affordable Broadband Campaign’s – Don’t Disconnect US site
Federal Communications Commission – ACP Notice
- The Affordable Connectivity Program stopped accepting new applications and enrollments on February 8th. Barring additional funding from Congress, April is expected to be the last month enrolled households will receive the full benefit. Consumers had to be approved and enrolled with a service provider by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 7th to receive the ACP benefit.
- All ACP households enrolled at the time of the enrollment freeze, February 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET, will be able to remain enrolled through the final month of ACP service if they are not required to be de-enrolled under FCC rules.
- Households that are de-enrolled from the program, such as for failure to use their ACP-supported service, will not be able to re-apply or re-enroll in the ACP during the enrollment freeze.
- For more updates about the ACP Wind Down, refer to AffordableConnectivity.gov.
- ACP Wind-Down Fact Sheet | Hoja informativa sobre el fin del programa ACP
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers | Preguntas frecuentes sobre el fin del programa ACP
- ACP & Lifeline FAQs | ACP y Lifeline: Preguntas Frecuentes
- ACP Wind-Down Webinar: Video | Powerpoint Slides [PDF]

To support the work of digital equity across the state and create a comprehensive plan. Kansas Office of Broadband Development engaged with experts and digital equity champions across the state. We are thankful for them and their work in this space and dedication to connecting all Kansans. In alphabetical order these champions are listed below

Agency/Organization	First Name	Last Name	Title
League of Kansas Municipalities	Wendi	Stark	Research Associate
University of Kansas	Carol	Smith	KU Dean of Libraries
Kansas Health Foundation	Chan	Brown	Program Officer
NAACP – Kansas Chapter	Kenya	Cox	President
Kansas City Digital Drive	Aaron	Deacon	Managing Director
AARP Kansas	Glenda	DuBoise	State Director
Kansas Data Science Consortium	William	Duncan	Assist Research Professor of Data Science
Kansas Department of Corrections	Cris	Fanning	Executive Director – Programs and Risk Reduction
Kansas Hospital Association	Jennifer	Findley	Vice President Education & Special Projects
Empower	Ariel	Rodriguez	Executive Director
Urban TEC	Ina	Montgomery	Executive Director
UMB	Jacob	Mogle	Strategic Sponsorships Manager
Kansas State Department of Education	Kyle	Lord	Assistant Director of Information Technology
United Methodist Health Ministry Fund	Jennifer	Ellis	Communications Officer
Kansas Department of Agriculture	Dana	Ladner	Compliance, Education and Agency Support Program Manager
Kansas Board of Regents	Hector	Martinez	Director, Adult Education
Kansas City Digital Drive	Leslie	Scott	Program Manager
UFCW2	Monica	Vargas-Huertas	Political & Community Outreach Director
Kansas Native American Affairs	Jancita	Warrington	Executive Director/Tribal Liaison
Department of Children and Families	Felicia	Welch	Employment Services Program Administrator

Resources

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