The Cost Of Broadband Is Too Damned High

How much do consumers pay for internet service in the United States? The question might seem relatively simple, but the answer has stymied the federal government for years—because no agency collects this data. Throughout 2020, my organization, New America’s Open Technology Institute, published the Cost of Connectivity series to crack open the black box of internet pricing. The collective takeaway of these studies is clear: the cost of internet service is alarmingly high, and there is substantial evidence of an affordability crisis in the United States. There are many steps that Congress and the Federal Communications Commission should take, including, but not limited to:

• Expand Lifeline. 

• Legalize municipal broadband. 

• Ban landlord exclusivity deals. 

• Step up antitrust enforcement. 

• Make internet pricing transparent.