Affordability/Cost/Price

The Federal Communications Commission has already signed up 2.3 million households for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which was designed to help low-income users with affordable internet access during the pandemic. But while the agency is heralding these numbers as a success, the program appears to be plagued by ongoing issues that are causing some internet service providers to block eligible Americans from accessing up to $50 a month off of their internet bills.

Historically, the government has subsidized the building of broadband networks by offering incentives to private companies such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T. But in a break from the past, Biden's proposal calls for prioritizing funding, for the first time, to community-built networks. And the plan isn't just focused on building out broadband in rural or outlying areas. Some of the most persistent examples of the digital divide can be found in dense urban neighborhoods struggling with poverty or inequality.

Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program enrolled over 2.3 million households in all 50 states, Washington (DC), Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and American Samoa. Additionally, at the agency’s direction, the  Universal Service Administrative Company debuted a new data dashboard for advocates, members of Congress, and the general public to track the progress of the Emerge

Pew Research Center released their latest “Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2021” survey, which is one of the authoritative reports on broadband adoption. What will probably get some attention is the breakdowns of the non-adopters of broadband. The largest group is the 27% who haven’t adopted broadband because the cost of the service or devices is too high.

Sen Brian Schatz (D-HI) led a group of 20 senators in calling on the leaders of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to share data to identify communities without high-speed internet access and work together to improve broadband connectivity. In a letter to the agency leaders, the senators also called on them to collaborate and find ways to ensure families in need also have information on accessing Lifeline, an existing federal phone and internet service program. “We urge HUD and USDA t

As America gears up for President Joe Biden’s (trimmed down) $65 billion plan to connect every American to affordable high-speed internet, almost inevitably the focus turns to rolling out infrastructure — notably terrestrial fiber — into unserved (or underserved), predominantly rural communities. Yet the focus on building more infrastructure glosses over the reality that the number of urban households without an internet connection — despite some of the world’s best infrastructure passing their doors — exceeds the number of unconnected rural households by a ratio of nearly three to one (13.

The COVID-19 pandemic has vividly demonstrated the disadvantages of lacking home internet service. One in four (4) households in New York State do not have a foundational tool for internet connectivity – a wireline high-speed internet subscription for their home. These gaps are more pronounced for low-income New Yorkers, older adults, and communities of color. The following data shines a light on access to digital tools in New York State using 2019 American Community Survey data. Key datapoints are as follows:

The first round of the Illinois Connected Communities program is beginning to wind down. The program is an education and capacity-building project that pairs critical philanthropic resources with state funding — with a goal of serving 30 under-resourced Illinois communities over three years. Selected communities complete a community-driven, broadband strategic plan that articulates the community’s vision and identifies an action plan for progress toward improved broadband access, adoption, and/or utilization.

Microsoft said that it's expanding its Airband program, which was initially designed to connect rural areas, to eight cities: Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, El Paso, Texas, and Memphis. Along with enabling inexpensive broadband, Microsoft will make devices more affordable by providing free and low-cost refurbished computers and tablets to communities of color through partners like PCs for People, Human-I-T and PlanITROI, a company whose Digital Dreams Project provides refurbished devices to K-12 students in need.

Some 15% of home broadband users in the US say they have had trouble paying for their high-speed internet service during the coronavirus outbreak. That includes 34% of those with household incomes of less than $30,000 a year. A quarter of home broadband users with annual household incomes ranging from $30,000 to just under $50,000 say they have had trouble doing so in the pandemic, as have roughly one-in-ten (8%) with household incomes ranging from $50,000 to $74,999. There are also differences by Americans’ educational attainment.