The gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those with very limited or no access at all.
Digital Divide
Where is fiber broadband on the hype cycle?
There’s a huge amount of energy in the fiber broadband ecosystem right now driven largely by the Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) program. But as someone who’s covered telecommunications for three decades, I suspect that we’re nearing the peak of the hype cycle for broadband.
Impact of the Discontinuation of the Affordable Connectivity Program
In a meeting with officials at the Federal Communications Commission, Recon Analytics shared results of a survey of 4,000 consumer mobile and 4,000 home internet consumers.
The Divide: Blair Levin on what the end of Chevron deference means for broadband
TBlair Levin, analyst for New Street Research and former chief of staff at the FCC, discusses the Supreme Court's June 28 decision striking down Chevron deference (a.k.a, the Loper Bright decision), and the implications for the telecommunications industry at large.
Exploring Maine’s State Broadband Initiative, With Brian Allenby
In the fourth installment of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation’s Access America series, Jess talks to Brian Allenby, program operations and communications director for the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA). They chat about the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Maine's digital equity intensive approach, and how the state has been promoting regional broadband plans and activity. "The Regional Tribal Broadband Partners were convened as a working group to share information at what was happening at that local level.
NDIA Announces Grading Internet for Good
To help millions of households navigate and evaluate low-cost internet plans, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) created a new rating system to evaluate a plan’s affordability and quality. NDIA GIG (Grading Internet for Good) reflects lessons from the Affordable Connectivity Program that contributed to the program’s success and evaluates plans on cost, transparency, speed, performance, and eligibility criteria. We’ve also updated our Honor Roll of Low
Nebraska Annual Social Survey Snapshot: Is Home Internet in Nebraska Fast and Dependable?
A 2023 survey of about 1450 Nebraskans who reported having internet access at home found significant variation across demographic groups in home internet experiences. Among those with internet access at home, the largest differences in internet dependability and speed are reported across those who live in a town or city compared to those who live on a farm or open country.
The Efficacy of the Connect America Fund in Addressing US Internet Access Inequities
Residential fixed broadband internet access in the United States (US) has long been distributed inequitably. These inequities remain the subject of significant focus for both researchers and policymakers alike, as taxpayers have invested hundreds of billions of dollars over the past several decades to address these broadband-related challenges. This paper evaluates the efficacy of the Connect America Fund (CAF), a key policy intervention aimed at addressing disparities in US internet access.
5 Questions for the ACLU’s Jenna Leventoff
A Q&A with Jenna Leventoff, a senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. What’s one underrated big idea? Section 230 [of the 1996 Communications Decency Act], which is both underrated and underappreciated. What’s a technology you think is overhyped? AI is both overhyped and a little bit under-hyped. What book most shaped your conception of the future? “To Paradise” by Hanya Yanagihara. What could government be doing regar
FCC Takes Steps to Update Broadband Data Collection Processes
Starting in February 2021, the Federal Communications Commission embarked upon an agency-wide effort to implement a new Broadband Data Collection (BDC). The BDC is a fundamental change from the FCC’s prior efforts to collect broadband data.
FCC Announces July 18, 2024 Open Commission Meeting Agenda
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold an Open Meeting on the following subjects on Thursday, July 18, 2024, which is scheduled to commence at 10:30 a.m. in the Commission Meeting Room of the Federal Communications Commission.