Pew Charitable Trusts
How Do Speed, Infrastructure, Access, and Adoption Inform Broadband Policy?
Significant parts of American life, including education, health care, shopping, and workforce training, are increasingly happening online. And because of this trend, households need reliable broadband—high-speed internet connections—more than ever before. In response, policymakers at all levels of government are working to expand the availability of broadband service.
How Broadband Infrastructure Gets Built
Each day in the US, Americans access billions of webpages, stream millions of videos, and participate in thousands of hours of virtual meetings over broadband networks.
How Can the United States Address Broadband Affordability?
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for high-speed internet access in Americans’ homes and elevated debate about the cost and affordability of connections and devices. Congress responded with emergency measures designed to keep households online.
States Risk Leaving Broadband Money on the Table
State lawmakers often joke about “waiting on Washington” to pass laws, distribute funds, or approve permits—a time-honored tradition in the halls of state governments. But today, when it comes to expanding access to broadband service, the federal government is waiting on the states. Experts estimate that providing every American with access to affordable high-speed internet—a need highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic—will cost $80 billion or more.
Strategies for Crafting Effective State Broadband Plans
States have made significant strides toward improving the availability and affordability of broadband service in recent years. A key step in many of those efforts has been the development of formal, statewide broadband expansion plans, often at the behest of the state legislature or as a strategic component of the state’s broadband program, that use data and stakeholder input to identify and refine goals, recommend activities, and detail implementation strategies.
Regional Utility Districts Can Help Fill Gaps in Broadband Service
Regional utility districts formed among multiple towns or municipal entities represent one of several emerging frameworks for providing broadband service to unserved or underserved areas, particularly in more rural parts of the country. Historically, such utility districts have been formed to build out infrastructure and provide essential services.
Partnerships With Electric Utilities Can Help Expand Broadband Access
Investor-owned utilities, typically large, publicly-traded electricity distributors, can play a critical role in bringing broadband services to rural and underserved areas by allowing providers to use their existing infrastructure to provide the middle mile network for making high-speed internet connections. Rural areas present a challenge for broadband providers: These regions tend to be more costly and less profitable to serve than densely populated urban and suburban areas. Connecting rural communities requires middle and last-mile networks.
States Considering Range of Options to Bring Broadband to Rural America
State policymakers have increasingly sought new solutions to improve the availability of broadband, including allowing electric cooperatives to offer service, the formation of regional utility districts to provide broadband, and the use of investor-owned utilities to improve the availabili
The Pew Charitable Trusts Launches Opportunity Broadband
The Pew Charitable Trusts launched Opportunity Broadband—an alliance of 5 companies, associations, and nonprofit organizations across the country working to ensure that our nation’s investment in universal, affordable broadband access strengthens communities and promotes equal participation in the economy.