Research

A new report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), reveals strong global growth in Internet use, with the estimated number of people who have used the Internet surging to 4.9 billion in 2021, from an estimated 4.1 billion in 2019. This comes as good news for global development. However, ITU data confirms that the ability to connect remains profoundly unequal. An estimated 37 percent of the world's population – or 2.9 billion people – have still never used the Internet.

The global economy is increasingly digitalized. Countries that wish to successfully compete in the global digital economy must cultivate workforces possessing the requisite digital skills so that industries, enterprises, and even individuals can thrive in the digital environment. This report explores the state of digital skills across the US economy, examining what they are, why they matter, the current extent of workforce digitalization, and how the United States fares in international digital skills comparisons.

This 5G Americas white paper evaluates current technology trends and suggests how to enhance existing technologies towards the future evolution of wireless cellular networks beyond the current 5G. It emphasizes the need for extremely performant, trustworthy, intelligent, cognitive, flexible, and sustainable wireless communication NextG networks.

5G fixed wireless access (FWA) services could serve 8.4 million rural households — nearly half the rural homes in the US — with a “future-proof”, rapidly deployable, and cost-effective high-speed broadband option, according to a new Accenture study commissioned by CTIA, the wireless industry association. The report, titled 5G Fixed Wireless Broadband: Helping Close the Digital Divide in Rural America, discusses how 5G FWA services can quickly and cost-effectively bring high-speed broadband to 8.4 million households in rural parts of the country.

This research, conducted by RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting (RVA), concludes that when compared to other broadband technology—including cable, DSL/FTTN, satellite, mobile wireless and fixed wireless—fiber has stronger reliability, the highest satisfaction rates, and lowest cost per Mbps. This annual research provides a snapshot of the current broadband market. It includes the latest broadband technology deployment numbers, satisfaction rates, and market growth rates.

The Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act signed into law in March 2020 requires the development of a national “broadband serviceable location fabric (BSLF)” containing georeferenced information on all locations where fixed broadband could be installed. This represents a significant shift from prior datasets, where broadband availability was gauged from the estimated number of people/households in each Census Block (i.e., without geolocations).

In a large number of communities across the United States, shopping for Internet access is really challenging. It can be hard for someone to identify exactly what it is they will be getting when they order any given service, as well as how much they will pay for it. Significant information gaps, as well as inconsistently presented information, make it difficult for people to navigate the Internet service market.

This study examines how the level of concentration of a country’s mobile telecommunications market affects its competitiveness. We created a unique database with information on 59 countries, which we used to perform several estimations including an instrumental variable approach to explain the degree of concentration in mobile phone markets. Our first and direct estimation shows that the higher the concentration in the mobile market, the lower the countries’ competitiveness.

A review of applications for the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) demonstrates the urgent need for laptop computers and internet access for millions of K-12 students and library patrons. Schools and libraries have requested support for 12.9 million devices via the ECF. There were two ECF filing windows in 2021. 9.4 million laptop computers were requested along with another 1.7 million tablet computers. Connected learning devices represented two-thirds of the $6.3 billion in support that was requested, and 17 percent of the funds were requested for mobile broadband.