Revati Prasad
@raveuhtea.bsky.social
Working on meaningful internet access for all
“... if we are not able to get people to use this connectivity, all we’ve done is put wires in the ground" -- Benton's Drew Garner making all sorts of sense in www.techpolicy.press/digital-equi...
Digital Equity Advocates Rally to Restore Funds, Sustain Their Work | TechPolicy.Press
Experts say cancellation of Digital Equity Act funding threatens to entrench the digital divide just as AI ushers in a disruptive era of technological change.
techpolicy.press
"When we were on it [the ACP], we felt almost normal." -- @johnbhorrigan.bsky.social's latest work on how the loss of the internet subsidy played out in people's lives. www.benton.org/publications...
Budgeting for Broadband: What Losing the ACP Means to Household Budgets and Behavior
When the Affordable Connectivity Program ended, the question for most people was not whether to keep service but how to keep it while juggling other household needs.
benton.org
Great piece on what makes deploying broadband difficult. The point about RDOF defaults is especially worth noting as new BEAD guidance similarly prioritizes bidders proposing the lowest cost. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Red Tape Isn’t the Only Reason America Can’t Build
The failure to deploy rural broadband has become synonymous with excessive bureaucracy. The real story is more complicated.
theatlantic.com
“You can’t just have one giraffe. You need a herd of giraffes. And turns out giraffes like fiber too.” Learning about some interesting rural fiber deployment challenges from Bill Hetherington of Bandera Electric Co-op. #Fiber_Connect_2025
What’s that saying? “If it ain’t broke…” www.benton.org/blog/whats-w...
What's Wrong With West Virginia's BEAD Proposal?
Monday, June 2, 2025 Digital Beat What's Wrong With West Virginia's BEAD Proposal? Read It And Judge For Yourself “When completed, the programs detailed in this Final Proposal will provide universal b...
benton.org
Maine, leading on digital equity again. www.pressherald.com/2025/05/21/m...
Maine delegation urges Trump administration to unfreeze digital equity grants
Maine's members of Congress argue that terminating the Digital Equity Act and related grants 'will have an outsized impact on Maine families, small businesses, and communities.'
pressherald.com
The Digital Equity Act not “based on race” Politifact finds — www.politifact.com/factchecks/2...
Trump falsely called internet program a racial ‘handout’
President Donald Trump said that the Digital Equity Act is a “handout based on race” and illegal. Congress approved the act to expand broadband access to many groups, not just racial minorities.
politifact.com
How can the most online President ever be against getting all Americans online? www.benton.org/blog/achievi...
Achieving Digital Equity is a Matter of Social and Economic Justice and is Worth Pursuing
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society statement on the announcement that the Trump administration will end Digital Equity Act programs
benton.org
So excited about our new fellows. They're tackling issues like climate risk, accountability mechanisms, and how our institutions and policies can impact people’s ability to access and use the internet.
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Announces Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund Fellowships Examining Barriers to Broadband
Latest cohort of researchers supported by Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund
benton.org
New rules require seniors to seek services online or travel in-person to social security offices. wamu.org/story/25/04/...
New Social Security rules will create hurdles for millions of seniors, report finds
A new report from a left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that upcoming changes to Social Security will amount to a "45-mile trip for some 6 million seniors."
wamu.org