TOMORROW'S LEADERS NEED YOUR SUPPORT TODAY

The Digital Equity Act (DEA) was part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), allocating $2.75 billion nationwide to help states and nonprofits close digital divides in broadband access, devices, and skills training. 

The Department of Commerce (through NTIA) abruptly halted or “paused” the disbursement of these funds on May 9, 2025, citing administrative and oversight issues. This decision froze all pending state implementation grants, including programs already approved or awaiting contract execution: 

• Over $1.4 billion in projects were frozen
• More than 70% of local organizations serving low-income youth faced program disruption
• Roughly 35,000 training slots nationwide were canceled or postponed

Those hit the hardest include: 

• Community-based nonprofits and training centers — especially those relying on the State Digital Equity Capacity Grants to fund local programs
• Rural and low-income urban communities — many had projects ready to deploy broadband adoption programs, device distributions, and digital literacy classes
• Public libraries, adult education providers, and workforce centers lost planned funding for digital navigator positions

• In South Suburban Cook County, areas like Harvey, Dolton, and Calumet City show connectivity rates 25–30% below the county average.
   
• Young adults in these areas are 2× more likely to lack both reliable broadband and a home computer compared to their peers (Chicago Digital Equity Council, 2023).
   
• Digital inequity correlates strongly with income — households earning <$35,000 are 4× more likely to lack home internet access.

According to the Illinois Digital Equity Plan, over 40% of young adults (ages 18–30) in Cook County report low to moderate digital literacy — limiting access to higher-wage digital economy jobs.
 

The most significant barriers cited by young adults: 

• Lack of affordable devices and service plans (54%)
   
• Lack of training or mentoring on digital tools (39%)
   
• Lack of awareness of free or low-cost broadband programs (33%)

Post-pandemic studies show that students from disconnected households were 2.6× more likely to fall behind academically and 3× less likely to enroll in workforce programs or college.
 

The Illinois Broadband Lab estimates that bridging this divide could add $1.6 billion annually in economic productivity to the Chicago metro region.

• Illinois Digital Equity Grant Overview (DCEO, 2023–2024): https://dceo.illinois.gov;  https://dceo.illinois.gov/broadband/illinois-digital-equity-capacity-grant.html 
• Cook County Digital Equity Action Plan: https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/digital-equity
• Illinois Office of Broadband: https://dceo.illinois.gov/broadband.html
• Illinois Broadband Lab - County Profiles: https://broadband.uillinois.edu/