Phoenix Center
Assessing Broadband Policy Options: Empirical Evidence on Two Relationships of Primary Interest
The Biden Administration and the U.S. Congress are contemplating spending tens of billions of dollars on policy interventions to increase the deployment of broadband networks with the objective of increasing broadband adoption.
Race and Broadband Adoption: A Decomposition Analysis
As governments push for universal adoption of broadband Internet service, policies must address the fact that many households with access to the service do not to subscribe to it. Lower adoption rates in some minority communities are one cause for concern. A confounding factor with respect to race is that it is often correlated with income, education, and other factors that drive Internet adoption in the home.
Form 477, Speed-Tests, and the American Broadband User’s Experience
Respecting the limitations of the speed-test data, I analyze a sample of over 100 million speed-tests conducted in the US in 2020. Through its Open Data Initiative, the data are made available by Ookla (speedtest.net). I also link the Ookla Speedtest data to the Federal Communications Commission’s Form 477 data for comparison purposes.
Are Broadband Prices Declining? A Look at the FCC’s Price Survey Data (Phoenix Center)
Submitted by benton on Mon, 10/26/2020 - 10:00OTI’s Cost of Connectivity 2020 Report: A Critical Review
Advocates for municipal broadband are, if anything, persistent.
Trends in Lifeline Reform: A Look at the Evidence, Not the Politics
According the latest Census data on computer and Internet use, 85.7% of Americans have fixed-line broadband service in the home. But during the COVID pandemic, it is the 14.3% of broadband “have nots” getting all the attention.
Bridging the Digital Divide: What Has Not Worked But What Just Might
America has spent billions trying to close the Digital Divide, but adoption disparities along many dimensions persist. The COVID pandemic has rekindled the strong interest in broadband adoption, with many in Congress now proposing to spend billions more to shrink the adoption gap. As might be expected, the Phoenix Center’s economic analysis prescribes that money should be spent where it is most effective (per dollar) at increasing adoption.
Is France a Broadband Nirvana? A Look at the Data (Phoenix Center)
Submitted by benton on Thu, 06/18/2020 - 11:14
COVID-19 and Broadband Speeds: A Multi-Country Analysis
COVID-19 has forced the residents of many nations to shelter-in-place, either by choice or by mandate. As a result, Internet use has skyrocketed, putting stress on both fixed and mobile broadband networks. An early look at the performance of broadband networks with respect to download speeds. Using weekly speed data for fixed and mobile networks for months preceding and following March 2020, Ford finds sizable reductions in speed for several countries, but also some increases in speed.