One Year Later: The Digital Equity Act Cancellation and Libraries
May 8, 2026, marked the one-year anniversary of the Trump Administration’s cancellation of the Digital Equity Act (DEA). The $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act was a part of a coordinated effort to provide communities across the U.S. with high-speed broadband and the skills and technology needed to thrive in our increasingly digital world.
Libraries and other community anchor institutions were integral to the planning of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the digital divide. Collectively, these groups spent precious resources and staff time applying for DEA program grants, leading related coalition building efforts, and conducting outreach and asset mapping.
The abrupt cancellation of the DEA grants last year was a significant blow to digital inclusion programs nationwide, impacting millions of Americans. According to the Idaho Commission for Libraries, over 80% of the state’s DEA Capacity Grant award “was slated for subgrants supporting rural Idahoans, including older adults and veterans.” Public and tribal libraries across the state would have benefited from grants to replace outdated computers to offer public training on cybersecurity and technology use. In Maine, nearly 130,000 people would have been directly served by DEA-funded programs, such as digital skills training, technical support, telehealth access, and affordable device programs.
One year after the cancellation of the DEA the need for reliable internet access, digital skills programs, and access to Wi-Fi enabled devices persists. While libraries continue to provide the digital resources and support our communities rely on, the loss of transformational DEA funding takes a toll on maintaining hotspot fleets, updating technologies, and expanding programming and one-to-one support.
The American Library Association (ALA) has worked with our partners to challenge the loss of the DEA. In May 2026 ALA joined an amicus brief in support of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s (NDIA) suit to stop the illegal cancellation of the program. While we await rulings from the court, we’re also advocating in Congress. As it stands, the Administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget would eliminate all DEA funding. ALA has joined national and community-based advocacy organizations in the Save the Digital Equity Act: Month of Action from May 8 to June 8, 2026, to protect digital access programs.
As the Month of Action comes to a close, ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy team will continue to advocate for legislative and regulatory policies that support the vital digital inclusion work libraries do day in and day out. ALA continues to affirm that access to affordable high-capacity broadband is as essential as electricity, and that ensuring all Americans have the skills to leverage digital technologies is critical. Technology access and digital skills drive success at school and at work and enable both healthcare access and civic participation.
To learn more about how libraries are continuing to advance digital equity, be sure to check out our programming at the ALA Annual Conference, including our annual in-person Digital Inclusion Working Group meetup. All library workers interested in telecommunications and broadband policy, digital inclusion programming, E-Rate, and more, are welcome to attend to connect with peers.
Tags: closethedigitaldivide, digitalequity, digitalinclusion, libraryadvocacy, publiclibraries
