It's Time To Connect the Rest of America
High-speed broadband is a vital part of our nation’s infrastructure, but more than 17 million rural Americans don’t have access, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Microsoft’s own data shows that about 157.3 million Americans don’t access the internet at broadband speeds. You can help close the digital divide and connect more Americans to educational, employment, and business opportunities to keep our economy growing.
Executive Briefings
Voices for Innovation’s Executive Briefings provide weekly updates on technology policy and news, including highlights from Capitol Hill, breaking tech news, clips of relevant articles from traditional and new media, and a roundup of thought leader quotes and tweets.
Read the LatestLatest News
The Urgent Need to Create Inclusive Access for Women to Join the Technology Industry
The tech industry remains a bright spot in a global economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital transformation projects accelerated in response to the global crisis—and tech businesses large and small grew ...
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The Department of Defense is developing new security standards for #5G that will dictate what requirements private companies must meet in order to collaborate with the agency on installing the tech. https://bit.ly/2SxKCjL
Only half of households on tribal lands have internet service. See how the Biden administration is working to expand #broadband access and adoption for tribal communities: https://bit.ly/3cH2Ohw
Learn more about Microsoft’s vote tracking software, ElectionGuard, and the company's new partnership with one of the three major voting machine vendors in the US: https://bit.ly/3zsA4Ts
Learn more about the progress of @Microsoft's Airband Initiative ⬇️
The FCC has asked for a 3.7% increase in funding for FY22 to work toward universal affordable broadband and a more inclusive communications landscape. https://bit.ly/3ioUG9q
President Biden's proposed FY22 budget includes $58.4 billion for modernizing the information-technology systems of federal agencies and strengthening #cybersecurity. Read more: https://on.wsj.com/3vZJ0xC
Microsoft has been at the forefront of identifying, mitigating, and defending against #cyberattacks. For the latest on #cyberdefense, see this blog post from @TomBurt45, Microsoft Corporate Vice President for Customer Security & Trust: https://bit.ly/2TPA1Ry
The Emergency Broadband Benefit gives low-income Americans and people who lost their jobs during the pandemic up to $50 off their monthly internet bill, but the communities that could benefit the most are often the hardest to reach. Learn more: https://bit.ly/2SC3ei2
Microsoft has asked the @FCC to reverse its decision to allow broadcaster signals from distributed transmission systems to go "significantly" beyond a station's current authorized service area: https://bit.ly/3fVBVr2
President Biden's new infrastructure proposal reduced funding for #broadband and other major projects in an effort to attract bipartisan support. Learn more about the changes: https://bit.ly/3vzgH95
The digital divide disproportionately impacts people of color. That’s why @Microsoft's Airband initiative is expanding to eight U.S. cities that face some of the largest broadband gaps in the country among Black and African American communities.
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2021/06/02/racial-digital-inequity-airband-broadband-access/
Sign up for the VFI Executive Briefing for weekly updates on the latest tech policy: https://bit.ly/32XY4z5
Sen. @RonWyden sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the department to fund #broadband projects in communities without access to 100Mbps upload and download speeds: https://bit.ly/3c1N0pl
The Department of Homeland Security will issue a security directive requiring pipeline companies to report cyber incidents to federal authorities in response to the Colonial Pipeline #cyberattack: https://wapo.st/3uvcpyi
Here's an update on the Nobelium attacks we announced Thursday. https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2021/05/30/nobelium-cybersecurity-cyberattacks-phishing/
Without a federal data privacy law, states are creating their own bills to protect consumers. Learn more about the legislative push at the state level: https://nyti.ms/3fjuPgX
President Biden's infrastructure plan includes $100 billion to improve broadband access, which would expand high-speed internet to the communities who need it most. Learn more about how the lack of access is impacting rural communities: https://nyti.ms/3oNMxw6
The latest cyberattacks, including the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline, have emphasized the need for stronger cyber defenses. Learn more about the #cybersecurity provisions in President Biden's infrastructure plan: https://bloom.bg/3wvGzCJ
During @EdLaborCmte @EdLaborGOP #WIOA hearing, Portia Wu underscored the need for dedicated investment in skills training, support for employers with upskilling, the importance of digital equity, & the value of data & innovation to connect workers to jobs. https://msft.it/6019V2KRx
The @FCC created a new public database to track telephone service providers' compliance with verifying the origins of phone calls to help with eliminating robocalls: https://bit.ly/3hRDOrB
Voices for Innovation on Capitol Hill
Voices for Innovation members came to Washington, DC to meet with their members of Congress and the House Small Business Committee and advocate for 21st century technology policies.
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Rights and Responsibilities When It Comes to Data Privacy Privacy is recognized as a fundamental human right by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and many other treaties. Data-driven innovations and services should (...)
Technology Brings Internet to Underserved Communities Though the United States is a global technology leader, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2019 broadband report indicates that more than 21 million Americans lack access to high-speed internet, including nearly 17 million people in rural communities. (...)
About
Voices for Innovation (VFI) is a Microsoft-supported community of technology professionals and everyday Americans committed to advancing discussions about the most important technology policies. As citizen advocates, we champion public policies that foster innovation, support business growth, and enable technology to address societal challenges.