Growth in EBB Enrollment since June has been in Large Cities and Places with Low Broadband Adoption

Since the Emergency Broadband Benefit launched in May 2021, enrollment has grown steadily. By the end of June, 3.1 million households had enrolled, a figure that rose to 7.4 million by the beginning of November. Analysis of the geography of this growth shows that it was not evenly distributed. South Florida, Detroit, Chicago, and New York City have all seen very strong growth in enrollment since June. In the Los Angeles area, more than 100,000 additional households have signed up since then. At the same time, the general pattern of enrollment indicates that places most in need of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (that is, those with low home broadband adoption rates) have the highest rates of households signing up for the benefit. These findings indicate that demand is strong for programs such as the Affordable Connectivity Program created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, affordability struggles are real, and that outreached and improved eligibility processes can make a difference to participation. Focusing on these administrative details is the challenge for the FCC to meet as it plans the rollout of the Affordable Connectivity Program.

[John Horrigan is a Benton Senior Fellow and a national expert on technology adoption, digital inclusion, and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of programs designed to promote communications technology adoption and use.]