Christopher Mitchell Responds to Trump’s Abandonment of Digital Equity Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For media inquiries, please contact: Reggie Rucker, ILSR Communications Director

The President’s actions “will result in much higher costs for slower, less reliable Internet access for millions of Americans,” says Christopher Mitchell

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 14, 2025) – Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), made the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s announcement that it will withhold funding authorized by Congress for the Digital Equity Act:

The Trump administration’s announcement that it is eliminating funding for the Digital Equity Act, in concert with its intention to redirect billions of dollars from local companies across America to Elon Musk’s Starlink, will result in much higher costs for slower, less reliable Internet access for millions of Americans. President Trump’s actions are an attempt to undermine Congressional authority, reversing Congress’s authorization of funds to ensure all Americans could access the multi-generational networks envisioned through the $42.5 billion BEAD rural broadband program.

The President’s claim that the Digital Equity Act is a racist program is demonstrably false. In fact, the Digital Equity Act is focused on groups that include older adults, people living in rural regions, veterans, Americans with disabilities, and others who have been substantially left behind in the information age.

The proposed changes and cancellation of these investments will leave millions of Americans worse off and the United States less competitive in the global economy. The Digital Equity Act, in tandem with the BEAD rural broadband program, was meant to be a generational investment, but these changes all but guarantee the need for future government spending to address the gaps left unaddressed.

Christopher Mitchell is a leading national expert on community networks, Internet access, and local broadband policies, and is available for further comment and interviews.

Mitchell built CommunityNetworks.org, the comprehensive online clearinghouse of information about local government policies to improve Internet access. Its interactive community broadband network map tracks more than 600 such networks. He also hosts audio and video shows online, including Community Broadband Bits and Connect This!