Adoption

I constantly see articles that make claims about the percentage of homes that have broadband, cable TV, or telephone service. Any time I see a statement like that, I ask the question—how many total homes are in the U.S.—a number that is needed to calculate a penetration rate. There doesn’t seem to be any consensus on that question. I’ve tackled this exercise periodically and have never gotten close to having a satisfactory answer.

The State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released its third annual State EdTech Trends survey and report.

In Montana, over 63,400 Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) remain unserved and nearly 24,000 remain underserved. The Montana Broadband Office’s vision is to close the digital divide in support of Montana’s economic, workforce, health, and educational goals by ensuring reliable, affordable internet access for everyone in the state.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance's (NDIA) Digital Inclusion Start-Up Manual is intended to provide guidance to organizations looking to increase access and use of technology in disadvantaged communities through digital literacy training, affordable home broadband, affordable devices and tech support. These efforts might take place within a community-based organization, a library, a housing authority, a local government or other community locations.

On September 6, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission launched its latest (and 18th overall, if you're scoring at home) inquiry into the state of broadband in the United States.

In 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Census Bureau began an experimental project to study the feasibility of—and ultimately to produce—estimates of Internet adoption for small, sub-state areas during a single year to address this knowledge gap and better serve the policymaking process. Using techniques that have been successfully employed in other data products, Census Bureau experts are combining existing data from key household surveys with auxiliary data that are known to correlate with Internet adoption rates.

FarrPoint's International Digital Connectivity Readiness Index (DCRI) measures performance in both digital infrastructure and digital adoption. Overall, the United States ranks joint 2nd in the G7 for Digital Connectivity Readiness. The US ranks 6th in digital infrastructure, leading in 4G and 5G but struggling with broadband and Gigabit coverage. On adoption, it ranks 3rd, excelling in the Digital Economy, innovation and public services but facing challenges with Digital Skills, Security, and affordability. However, the US faces challenges in other aspects of digital adoption.

Two very real Universal Service Fund (USF) problems need to be addressed: funding and spending. The way the program is funded is inefficient, unsustainable, and regressive. Regardless of the judicial outcome, the tax that the court declared unconstitutional is both inefficient, by taxing a small, price-sensitive, declining base, and regressive, with a higher proportional burden falling on those least able to afford it. The program spends too much money on the wrong things. The High Cost Fund in particular, which accounts for about half of total spending, is outdated and wasteful.

Broadband subscriber additions from the first two quarters of 2024 give us an insight into some industry trends. Cable companies are starting to lose an increasing number of customers. Fixed wireless access (FWA) cellular carriers collectively added 933,000 customers in Q2. Telephone companies collectively showed a small gain for Q2, although all of the telephone companies reported significant fiber sales. 

Connect Kākou is the Hawaiʻi statewide broadband initiative led by the University of Hawai'i' Broadband Office (UHBO) to ensure people from all walks of life have reliable and affordable access to high-speed Internet. The name “Connect Kākou” was chosen to reflect Hawaii’s goal of using high-speed internet to connect everyone across the state. The Hawaiian word “kākou” is used to convey the idea of “all of us,” and underscores the sense of collective responsibility and unity that this initiative represents.