Ensuring All Hoosiers Have Reliable and Affordable Broadband

The mission of the Indiana Broadband Office (IBO) is to assist residents in need of affordable and reliable broadband connectivity. IBO recognizes that affordability is an important component of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and that deployment without affordable options will severely limit Indiana residents’ ability to navigate the internet effectively and utilize digital services. According to the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS), 24.7 percent of households in the state did not have home internet access or relied solely on cellular data to access the internet. Roughly 30 percent of households making less than $35,000 per year did not have home internet access compared to 5 percent of households making $75,000 or more per year. When comparing urban and rural, 36.8 percent of rural households making less than $35,000 per year did not have home internet access compared to 28.7 percent of urban households. Clearly, location and income play a role. In light of this, Indiana's top digital equity goal is to provide Indiana residents with universal connectivity that is affordable, accessible, reliable, equitable, and available in public and private spaces to ensure maximum adoption. In its initial BEAD proposal, the Indiana Broadband Office commits to developing a state-specific definition of affordability and working to provide the necessary resources that enable broadband access for residents.