News and Announcements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 1, 2024
Guam Launches First Digital Equity Plan: A Public Roadmap to Digital
Equality

Hagåtña, Guam - Starting today, residents can help shape the path to Guam's digital future.
The Office of Infrastructure Policy and Development, guided by the Office of the Governor,
unveils Guam's first-ever Digital Equity Plan. This call for public comment is the next stage
of a comprehensive community engagement process that began in early 2023. The plan is a
comprehensive framework of strategies and objectives to improve every Guam resident’s
quality of life by creating an inclusive digital landscape.

“This Digital Equity Plan, in collaboration with the Broadband Equity, Access, and
Deployment (BEAD) program, symbolizes Guam's proactive approach towards achieving
digital inclusivity. We are immensely grateful for the community’s input through our focus
groups and village town hall meetings. Your contributions are invaluable. We invite all
residents to review the plan and share their ideas on enhancing our community's digital
quality of life,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.

This groundbreaking initiative marks a significant step towards digital inclusivity and aligns
with the federally funded BEAD program. The administration and office worked diligently
for the $156 million award for broadband funding. The BEAD program aims to ensure every
home on the island has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet, working in tandem
with the objectives of the Digital Equity Plan.

The plan may be downloaded for review at https://notices.guam.gov/notice_detail/4283
How to participate

To continue broad community engagement with the plan’s release, a virtual Town Hall
Meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024, which can be accessed at
meet.google.com/znc-fgzh-zqa.

We also invite all residents of Guam to contribute to this vital initiative by providing their
insights and feedback during a dedicated 30-day public comment period. The Digital Equity
Plan draft is now open for public review and commentary until March 31, 2024. We
encourage everyone to share their perspectives and recommendations through email at
broadband@guam.gov or by visiting notices.guam.gov.

Closing the Digital Divide Leads to Opportunity
“We will be able to overcome the digital divide and provide equity and access to our residents
with this program,” said Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio. “Our future as a people is improved by
cultivating an inclusive digital landscape where no one is excluded. I invite everyone to join
in this mission of empowering our shared future through digital equity for all.”

The Digital Equity Plan and the BEAD program collectively aim to address various
objectives, including ensuring broadband services are widely available and affordable,
enhancing access to online public resources, promoting digital literacy, increasing workforce
development programs to support BEAD and DE programs, and spurring economic
development, increasing cybersecurity and personal safety awareness, and facilitating the
availability of affordable consumer devices and technical support.

For any comments or inquiries about the plan, please reach out to broadband@guam.gov. The
office will carefully review feedback to incorporate and enrich the final version of Guam's
Digital Equity Plan. The plan is scheduled for release in April, following the public comment
period and the Office of Infrastructure Policy and Development's review and incorporation of
public insights.

About the Office of Infrastructure Policy and Development (OIPD)
Established under Executive Order No. 2022-11 by Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero, the
Office of Infrastructure Policy and Development (OIPD) is Guam’s federally recognized
broadband policy office. It is committed to the island-wide deployment of high-speed internet
access and advancing digital equity and adoption for all residents of Guam. The OIPD
oversees coordinating, implementing, promoting, funding, and managing programs to ensure
equitable distribution of digital technologies and maximize Guam's digital competitiveness.

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