As Americans file their taxes this Tax Day, digital equity leaders across the nation will gather for a timely exploration of how public dollars are being used to strengthen communities – and how local advocates can negotiate better deals as AI data centers rapidly expand, lured with tax breaks.
Co-hosted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance Community Broadband Networks Initiative and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), the next Building for Digital Equity (B4DE) livestream promises to offer insights from frontline forces working to ensure broadband and technology investments serve public needs rather than distant corporate interests.
With the series sponsored by UTOPIA Fiber, the upcoming B4DE livestream – “Local Dollars, Local Solutions: Digital Equity Tax Money & How to Negotiate Better AI Data Center Deals” – is slated for April 15 at 3 p.m. ET and will bring together national policy experts, local leaders, and community advocates working in the trenches of digital inclusion.
Registration is now open here.
“Tax day should serve as a reminder that public money should work for the public,” organizers said.
“Communities are asking how to use their tax dollars to expand access to the Internet, digital skills, and devices – and how to effectively negotiate, or in some cases, stop data center developers from harming or extracting wealth from cities and towns without public benefit.”
The agenda for the free event will include a brief framing conversation before kicking things off with a creative segment highlighting the power of artistic collaboration and community storytelling, underscoring how digital access supports cultural expression and civic life.
That will be followed by policy updates that will include a briefing on BEAD non-deployment funds and the latest federal developments, as well as a state legislative policy update from NDIA on advancing model proposals in statehouses across the country.
A series of rapid-fire “Visionary Trailblazers” segments will spotlight cities and regions using local tax dollars to advance digital inclusion – even without federal support.
The final half of the program will shift gears to consider the acceleration of artificial intelligence infrastructure and how communities face mounting pressure to offer tax breaks and incentives. Taking that issue head-on, organizers say, a “fireside chat” will examine how communities can negotiate community benefit agreements and development terms when AI hyperscale data centers look to locate in your town.
As federal broadband funding timelines stretch into delay and uncertainty, while digital infrastructure demands grow, many communities are recognizing that local revenue tools and action may be the fastest way to close connectivity gaps. Meanwhile, AI data center developers are seeking generous tax incentives that can strain local resources without guaranteeing lasting benefits.
The livestream will explore the intersection of those two realities.
Join us on April 15 at 3 p.m. ET to be a part of shaping the next decade of digital equity policy.
Register now here.
The livestream will be available (and later archived) on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn with live viewer questions answered by the invited speakers and presenters.
Never seen a Building for Digital Equity event before? Check out our last one – “Moving At The Speed Of Trust” below:
Header of image of calculator and tax form on calendar courtesy of X on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
