Consumer Reports conducted a nationally representative survey to assess Americans’ access to high-speed internet service, and gauge their experiences and satisfaction with their broadband internet service. Key findings of the survey include: 

• Access to internet: About three out of four Americans say their household accesses the internet using a broadband service–high speed internet through a fixed cable or connection. Fifteen percent of American households only have access to the internet through their smartphone data plan and one in 20 use DSL or dial-up to access the internet.
• Reasons for not having broadband: Nearly a third of Americans who do not have broadband say the reason they do not have it is because it costs too much. A quarter of Americans who don’t have broadband in their homes say it is because it is not available where they live.
• Cost of broadband: Overall, the median amount paid by Americans for broadband service is $70 per month including taxes and fees. Nearly a quarter of Americans who have a broadband service at their home say it’s difficult to afford their monthly broadband costs. A larger percentage of Black, non-Hispanic and Hispanic Americans than white, non Hispanic Americans say it’s ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ difficult to afford their monthly internet costs. Forty-three percent of Americans who have broadband service in their household say they are dissatisfied with the value they get for the money.
• Opinions about municipal/community broadband: Three out of four Americans feel that municipal/community broadband should be allowed because it would ensure that broadband access is treated like other vital infrastructure such as highways, bridges, water systems, and electrical grids, allowing all Americans to have equal access to it. A larger percentage of Democrats than Independents and Republicans say municipal/community broadband should be allowed.

T-Mobile has committed to a June 30, 2022 shutdown date for Sprint’s LTE network. It’s an expected move as T-Mobile continues to absorb Sprint’s network and customers into its own base, and comes six months after its contentious planned January 1, 2022 shutdown of Sprint’s 3G CDMA network. A third of Sprint customers have already been moved onto the T-Mobile network, according to T-Mobile. The company expects to be able to migrate the remaining two thirds by that mid-2022 deadline, according to CFO Peter Osvaldik. Some of those customers will likely need new devices that are compatible with T-Mobile LTE and VoLTE, though the company has had no shortage of enticing 5G phone offers lately. T-Mobile says it will reach out to all customers who will need a new SIM card or device to stay connected, but if you’re curious whether your device is compatible you can run an IMEI check on T-Mobile’s website.

Americans who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind have been left behind in an increasingly digital communications world. These Americans are now fighting for their human right to have equal access to this world. Countless individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind — and their families and friends — have flooded the Federal Communications Commission's docket with pleas for functionally equivalent communications. Consumers are complaining that relay technologies have continued to stagnate as mainstream communications technologies have flourished. They are demanding access to critical emergency services as well as improvements that will put them on par with hearing people, such as a single phone number for VRS and texting, timely access to sign up for VRS, and seamless telephone access at home, at work, and on the go, whether here or abroad. The FCC should adopt a Community Investment approach to VRS rates so that the program can open doors to jobs and education for the deaf community and allow full connectivity with family and friends, doctors and teachers, colleagues and businesses. We all lose when our world is not accessible and inclusive for everyone. Equal communications access is necessary to ensure societal contributions from all Americans, including Americans who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind. It’s time for the FCC to provide the financial and regulatory support needed to meet the needs of all Americans with disabilities.

[Sherri Turpin is CEO of ZVRS and Purple Communications (ZP), a leading provider of communications solutions, including video relay technology, and interpretation services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.]

The European Commission aims to use its new authority to review Facebook’s proposed takeover of Kustomer, a startup specializing in customer-service platforms and chatbots. With a new interpretation of an old law, European Union competition regulators have given themselves sweeping authority to review merger cases that previously would have escaped their notice, sparking outcry from companies and their lawyers that the change will cause confusion in deal-making. Margrethe Vestager, the commission’s antitrust chief, said it is necessary to let her team assess and potentially block dominant companies from buying up smaller players to eliminate would-be rivals. Lawyers experienced in EU competition law say the new approach and the commission’s explanation of it leave many unanswered questions, including about jurisdiction between member states and Brussels, over timing of merger reviews and whether all deals must be notified to EU authorities. Commission officials have rejected such accusations, arguing any legal uncertainty always existed. They have pledged to use the new approach selectively, making it preferable to a proposed alternative of lowering the revenue threshold for deal review, which would have indiscriminately snared far more companies.