Research

The Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) released updated data showing that from December 2016 to December 2018, the number of Americans without any options for at least 250/25 Mbps fixed terrestrial broadband service plummeted by 74%, from 181.7 million to 47 million. And during that same time period, the number of Americans with no options for at least 25/3 Mbps fixed terrestrial broadband service fell by 30%, from 26.1 million to 18.3 million.

A report issued by the United Kingdom’s competition authority (CMA) provides interim findings that both Google and Facebook have a virtual lock on key elements of and inputs to the digital advertising market.

The MAPS Act (HR 4227) -- passed by the House of Representatives on December 16, 2019 -- would prohibit any person from willfully, knowingly, or recklessly submitting inaccurate information or data related to the geographic coverage of broadband Internet service to the Federal Communications Commission. Violators would be subject to criminal and civil penalties in the same amounts currently imposed on anyone who knowingly provides inaccurate information to the FCC. CBO estimates that it would cost the FCC less than $500,000 to update rules to implement the act.

State officials tasked with overseeing expansion of broadband to their residents say it is paramount to have accurate information about where infrastructure and service is lacking. But because connectivity data collected by the Federal Communications Commission often overestimates broadband’s reach, many states are trying to gather their own data, sometimes going door-to-door to query residents, to better understand service gaps. States are increasingly under pressure to make available more grant funding to pay for broadband infrastructure in rural communities.

Median monthly usage by broadband subscribers in 2020 is on a trajectory to surpass 250 gigabytes (GB) for the first time, according to the Q4 2019 OpenVault Broadband Industry report. Consistent with a correlation between broadband consumption and average provisioned speeds that has existed during OpenVault’s 10 years of analysis, the report notes that a 24.4% increase in average provisioned speed, from 103.1 megabits per second (Mbps) to 128.3 Mbps, in 2019 was slightly outpaced by a 27.3% increase in average consumption, from 270.2 GB to 344 GB.  A median usage of 250 GB would represent

As policymakers consider digital inclusion solutions, understanding the root of the problem is important. There are a number of ways people’s decisions not to subscribe to broadband could play out. Older adults – especially those on fixed incomes – may find the monthly fee burdensome but also struggle with the skills to use the internet. Low-income households, particularly those with children, likely understand the internet’s importance, but they may struggle with service affordability.

Congress is on the verge of passing legislation to improve broadband maps. Unfortunately, tucked inside the “Broadband DATA Act” is a provision that could unintentionally jeopardize broadband funding for schools, libraries, and healthcare providers.

Replica's technology is so new, urban planners don't know what to do with it. To understand its biggest selling point to communities across the country, consider the laborious transportation studies Kansas City has done for the last 50 years or so. About once a decade, planners ask residents to fill out a travel diary in a low-tech effort to assess how people move about the metro area.

USTelecom released its Industry Metrics and Trends 2020 report highlighting key elements of the broadband boom and investment story. USTelecom will weigh in soon explaining why the Federal Communications Commission should no longer mandate so-called network unbundling, a relic from a different (and far less competitive) era. Key highlights from the USTelecom Industry Metrics and Trends 2020:

Consumers and providers have made the transition from legacy voice to broadband and mobile communications services.

BroadbandNow Research manually checked broadband availability of more than 11,000 addresses using Federal Communications Commission Form 477 data and estimates that 42 million Americans do not have the ability to purchase broadband internet. The FCC's Broadband Deployment Report states that 21.3 million Americans, or 6.5 percent of the population, lack access to broadband internet, including wired and fixed wireless connections. Here’s what we did and how BroadbandNow arrived at this estimate: