Mind the Gap: Closing the Digital Divide through affordability, access, and adoption

Connected Nation collaborated with AT&T to explore attitudes toward home broadband service and the Affordable Connectivity Program. Researchers spoke with 1,758 households in five metropolitan areas about their home internet service, awareness of programs that could help make broadband more affordable, and reasons why some households still do not subscribe to high-speed internet. Of those, 453 respondents meet the income eligibility requirement to participate in the ACP; these households are identified as “low-income” in this study.  Among the key findings from this study:

• More than 1 in 4 low-income survey respondents do not subscribe to home internet service – this rate is higher in cities with lower median household incomes.
• While the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) can help reduce the monthly cost of home internet service, the most common barriers to participation among low-income households are general awareness of and familiarity with the program, and concerns about eligibility.
• ACP participants say enrollment wasn’t too difficult and were largely satisfied with the process.
• ACP participants use their internet access to connect to valuable resources and support learning and career opportunities.