Terminated May 2025
The Digital Equity Act, enacted in 2021 as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, was designed to close the digital divide through federal grants to help underserved communities gain access to high-speed internet, technology, and digital literacy training.
In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) received $1.6 million from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program to develop its Statewide Digital Equity Plan (also available in other languages). That plan was officially approved by the NTIA in March 2024.
On May 9, 2025, the PBDA received a letter from the U.S. Department of Commerce, notifying that the Digital Equity Act (DEA) had been officially terminated. Program activities were required to cease immediately, and no further federal funds would be reimbursed under the grant.
