Research

As of 2019, over 20 million Americans—predominantly those living in rural areas—lacked access to high-speed broadband service according to the Federal Communications Commission. Federal subsidies underwritten by taxpayer funds and long-distance telephone subscriber fees have injected billions of dollars into rural broadband markets over the past decade—mostly on the supply side in the form of grants, loans, and direct support to broadband providers.

Today, there is a large digital divide in New York City. The majority of New Yorkers use a mobile connection and a home connection, and they increasingly need both to make full use of the internet. Mobile connectivity is especially critical for people who commute to service jobs or for those with unstable housing, while a connection at home is essential for doing homework or applying for a job.

1. Social media sites have emerged as a go-to platform for connecting with others, finding news and engaging politically. 
2. Around the world and in the US, social media has become a key tool for activists, as well as those aligned against them.
3. Smartphones have altered the way many Americans go online. 
4. Growth in mobile and social media use has sparked debates about the impact of screen time on America’s youth – and others.
5. Data privacy and surveillance have become major concerns in the post-Snowden era.

As of 2019, nine-in-ten U.S. adults say they go online, 81% say they own a smartphone and 72% say they use social media. Growth in adoption of some technologies has slowed in recent years, in some instances because there just aren’t many non-users left, especially among younger generations.

The Network Security Information Sharing Act (HR 4461) would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to mitigate cybersecurity threats to suppliers of telecommunications services and equipment. Under the bill, the DHS would establish a program office to share information with trusted participants in the telecommunications industry about efforts by adversaries to embed malicious software into communications equipment purchased by American companies.

More than 110 rural electric co-ops have embarked on fiber optic projects to increase Internet access for their members, a number that is growing rapidly from just a handful in 2012. Thirty-one percent of the fiber service available in rural areas is provided by rural cooperatives. Personal anecdotes from Michigan, Virginia, Minnesota, and Missouri residents attest to the far-reaching benefits of cooperatives’ expansion into Internet service. A new map shows where rural cooperatives are planning to expand fiber Internet service. Co-ops have proven that this is a model that works.

The primary objective of the report is to inform policymakers about continuing obstacles to broadband deployment on Tribal lands, highlight Tribal success stories, and provide potential solutions that could benefit residents of Indian country. The report identifies obstacles to broadband deployment and associated issues, including statutory obstacles; regulatory and economic barriers; geography and demographics; deployment barriers; mapping challenges; Tribal consultation and engagement issues; accessibility; and adoption and demand issues.

Every year, Pew Research Center publishes hundreds of reports, blog posts, digital essays and other studies on a wide range of topics. At the end of each year, we compile a list of some of our most noteworthy findings. These are a few striking findings related to tech policy:

It is no secret that, in an information environment characterized by deep tensions between President Donald Trump and national news organizations, Americans are divided in their trust of the news media. A new Pew Research Center exploration of more than 50 different surveys conducted by the Center – combined with an analysis of well over 100 questions measuring possible factors that could drive trust in the news media – confirms that in the Trump era nothing comes close to matching the impact of political party identification. On item after item, Republicans consistently express far greater

The Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things Act (S. 1611) would require the Department of Commerce (DOC) to convene a federal interagency working group to report to the Congress on the Internet of things (IoT). The group would be required to identify laws and regulations that inhibit or promote IoT deployment, examine current and future federal IoT use, and recommend federal IoT security measures. Also under S.