Research

This report by George Ford at the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy Studies compares fixed broadband speeds in US cities to speeds in cities in other, higher-income nations. The data include fixed broadband speeds for 4,480 cities across the globe (910 in the US) from 98 nations. Across multiple comparisons, the report finds that the US has equal or higher download speeds—often much higher—than do other comparator countries.

The phase-out of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) and the transition to the new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) represents an opportunity to take stock of the EBB program’s impact, and adjust key parameters to enhance the impact of the ACP.

A deep dive into the role digital skills play in people’s interest in and ability to adopt and engage with the internet. This report reveals how much trust people place in public and private institutions such as schools and community-based nonprofits when it comes to learning about discounted and subsidized internet services. The survey findings, focused on income-insecure households (those making $50,000 or less annually), highlight the importance of digital skills training programs and trusted outreach partners as critical components to effective digital inclusion initiatives. 

Amidst COVID-19-related stay-at-home orders, the economy moved largely online and broadband internet became more important than ever. This paper explores the relationship between broadband and employment rates during April and May 2020 in rural US counties. We use two broadband dimensions: infrastructure availability rates and household adoption rates. We use a two-stage least squares approach to address endogeneity and control for socioeconomic, demographic, and pandemic-related factors.

The American Connection Corps (ACC) is the nation's largest fellowship program focused on bridging the digital divide. Led by Lead for America and The American Connection Project, this initiative addresses broadband development and digital inclusion while strengthening our country's next generation of civic leaders. In their first three months, the ACC Fellows have already made significant improvements in bridging the nation's digital divide:

This study examines how municipal governments have constructed the concept of digital equity through textual evidence, the digital equity plans of Kansas City (MO), Portland (OR), San Francisco (CA), and Seattle (WA). Adopting an approach from critical discourse studies, comparative analysis of the texts demonstrates how digital equity plans conceive of digital equity, characterize current problematic circumstances, and prescribe actions to make change.

Parks Associates’ latest Consumer Insights Dashboard analyzes the firm’s quarterly surveys of 10,000 US internet households to track consumer adoption of and changes in home services, including home internet, pay-TV, and mobile services. The firm’s Home Services Dashboard estimates that almost 114 million US households access the internet at home at speeds faster than dial-up.

In a large number of communities across the United States, shopping for Internet access is really challenging. In recent years, groups like Consumer Reports and New America have called attention to the challenge and pushed for the explicit disclosure of service details like download speed, upload speed, monthly service cost, and other information that helps potential subscribers compare providers.

The government is working to transfer some federally-used spectrum to the private sector to help build mobile broadband networks, including 5G. The National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) facilitates these transfers, which can be complex and take years. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that NTIA lacks a formal process for planning these transfers. We recommended that it develop one to help address challenges and risks before they arise.