Event Date: November 3rd, 2023
Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Zoom – https://kclibrary.zoom.us/j/97294646712?pwd=ak8zMHRuY09UZzRGUjF2Sjd3dXluZz09
Admission: Free
The Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion (KCCDI) is an open, collaborative group of organizations who foster digital equity and access to technology for Kansas City metro communities. KCCDI meets monthly on the first Friday of every month to hear about the work of local digital inclusion practitioners, and share information about upcoming opportunities in the digital inclusion space.
FEATURED CONTENT
Kimberlyn Jones, Kansas Office of Broadband Development, and D’mitri Farthing, Jr., Missouri Office of Broadband Development, will provide an update on their BEAD and Digital Equity Act planning.
Between Missouri and Kansas, the federal government has allocated nearly $2 billion for broadband infrastructure over the next five years. While most of that money is allocated for rural parts of the state that are unserved by any broadband provider, locations in the KC metro that actually lack any broadband service–or where service is particularly poor–may be eligible for infrastructure dollars. Beyond the money available to expand network capacity, there is a much smaller amount to support other elements of digital equity, like making those networks more accessible, improving the quality of network access and helping people with the skills to participate in life online. In order to administer all these federal funds, our state broadband offices have a detailed set of plans and proposals they need to clear with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Kansas has published their 5-Year action plan, volume 1 of their BEAD plan, and drafts of their volume 2 BEAD plan and Digital Equity Act plan, both of which are currently out for public comment. Missouri’s BEAD volume 1 and 2 and Digital Equity Act plans are forthcoming and will be available for public comment soon.
NEXT MEETING
The December KCCDI meeting will be held in person on Friday, December 8th 2023 at the Kansas City Public Library, 14 W 10th St KCMO
Please email lscott@kcdigitaldrive.org if you have announcements to share at an upcoming Coalition meeting.