In the pursuit of digital equity, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, under the umbrella of the federal $42.5 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), has earmarked a new historic allocation of $3.3 billion for broadband expansion in Texas. This allocation represents a pivotal investment aimed at enhancing access to reliable, high-speed internet and closing the digital divide across the state.
While we acknowledge this unprecedented funding, it is important to recognize that Texas, despite having the highest federal funding allocation, also has one of the largest number of unserved addresses in the nation, highlighting the scale of the task at hand.
How You Can Help
Public feedback is a pivotal component of this planning process. As leading professionals in the field of education and technology, your insights and perspectives are invaluable to this process. By contributing to the discourse, you can help to shape a robust and effective strategy that optimizes the allocated funding and addresses the broadband needs of the state – specifically for our schools and their students.
You can contribute to an improved understanding of the challenges Texas households are facing in accessing affordable and reliable internet service by participating in the Texas Digital Opportunity Public Survey. This information will directly inform the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan.
Take 10-15 Minutes to Complete an Anonymous Survey
The deadline for the survey is August 31 and TCEA encourages each one of you to take the 10-15 minutes to complete the survey and to share it with your networks. The survey, which is anonymous and available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, is designed to identify barriers to internet access, affordability, and adoption.
Why Does It Matter?
As a member of TCEA, your participation is vital to ensuring a comprehensive and representative digital strategy for Texas education. With your assistance, we can help to bridge the digital divide and ensure that the forthcoming expansion of broadband services benefits all Texas educators and students.
TCEA thanks you for your participation and contributions to this crucial endeavor.
