Don’t Be Fooled

Recently, there have been several pieces published that argue, in light of price and quality trends, that broadband service is affordable, and that, whether or not affordability matters, those who do not have service at home simply do not want it. These affordability arguments look at the Federal Communications Commission’s Urban Rate Survey to claim that broadband prices in real terms have been falling. The “they don’t want service” argument rests on a survey question that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has used for a number of years, which Recon Analytics recently examined in depth. Each argument warrants scrutiny. The more important question, though, is this: Why are we seeing these arguments now?

John Horrigan is a Senior Fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.