New State Broadband Office director Jordan Arnold emphasizes affordability, digital equity focus
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Summary
Jordan Arnold, who began as State Broadband Office director Jan. 2, told the Digital Equity Forum she brings federal broadband policy experience and will prioritize affordability and implementing a state digital equity plan.
Jordan Arnold, the State Broadband Office's new director, told the Digital Equity Forum on the meeting that she began the role Jan. 2 and intends to focus the office's work on affordability as well as deployment. "I am the new state broadband director," Arnold said, adding that she grew up in a home with a copper connection that delivered "a little less than 10" Mbps, a personal experience she said informs her priorities.
Arnold described federal experience overseeing broadband programs for the White House that included work on BEAD, the Digital Equity Act programs, the Affordable Connectivity Program and the Tribal Broadband Connectivity program. "My portfolio there included the BEAD program, the 42 and a half billion dollar BEAD program," she said, listing the federal programs she worked on and inviting forum members to meet with her individually.
Why it matters: The director's emphasis on affordability signals the office's intent to balance infrastructure deployment with measures to make service reachable and affordable for residents who remain unconnected. Forum members typically advise the State Broadband Office (SBO) and will be asked to help prioritize decision packages and policy recommendations that agencies carry into the budget and legislative process.
What she and staff asked of forum members: Arnold and Commerce staff asked Digital Equity Forum (DEF) members to help identify "top priorities for decision packages" based on the forum's legislative report and to designate one or two representatives per work group to meet with staff in March to refine budget and policy recommendations. Commerce staff said they will collect those volunteers and send meeting details.
Next steps: The SBO and forum co-chairs plan stakeholder meetings in March to develop candidate decision packages and to refine the forum's role in producing the next legislative report. The public quarterly Digital Equity Forum meeting is scheduled for May 5 from 3 to 5 p.m.; staff will circulate meeting materials and a recording after the session.