Research

The cost to manage video streaming in broadband networks is growing 2-3 times faster than revenue, frustrating broader investment and affordability goals. Some 44 of 50 broadband providers report that streaming video accounted for at least half of all their network traffic, with at least 23 providers reporting that streaming video accounted for at least 70 percent. Three-quarters of broadband providers experience that video streaming negatively impacts their ability to serve their customers without additional investment.

Whether you believe that generative AI has the potential to change the world for good, or that it poses more risks than benefits, most experts agree it is likely to have a significant impact on the future of our economy and society as a whole. This is certainly true for the communications industries. From security to broadcast content, and from online safety to spectrum management, generative AI promises to disrupt traditional service delivery, business models, and consumer behaviour. The use of generative AI could also pose risks.

Solving the digital divide in Maine takes vision and resources. Maine’s vision is for a statewide connectivity infrastructure that will improve the lives of Mainers now and in the future, empowering broad participation in modern society. The Maine Connectivity Authority exists to plan, invest in, deploy, and enable universal access to affordable, high-speed broadband that will dramatically improve the quality of life of Mainers. MCA proposes the following primary strategies and related activities to achieve affordable universal access to broadband in Maine.

Maine faces a perfect storm of challenges in achieving digital equity. Our remote and rugged terrain makes our state one of the most difficult and expensive to reach with digital infrastructure. As the oldest state in the nation, we have a significant population that didn’t grow up with all of the technology available today. Maine’s median household and per capita income lag behind most other states. Almost all of us live in small, rural communities with limited resources. These forces combine to shape the contours of the digital divide in Maine.

On May 8, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth released its second annual report

Customer satisfaction is a driving force that impacts the financial outlook of individual firms and the health of the US economy at large. New results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) include customer satisfaction benchmarks for three telecommunications industries: subscription TV service, internet service providers (fiber and non-fiber), and video streaming service (streaming apps and live TV apps). American customer satisfaction with internet service providers rose by 6% from 2022 to 2023, from 64% to 68%.

Anybody who is intimately familiar with the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map knows that there is a lot of fiction buried in the reporting. There is one huge flaw in the FCC mapping system that has carried over from the previous FCC mapping regime—internet service providers (ISP) self-report the speeds they can deliver. Per the FCC mapping rules, ISPs can claim broadband marketing speeds rather than some approximation of actual speeds.

In 2021, the Office of the State Comptroller reported that more than 1 million (roughly 14 percent) New York households lacked access to broadband. Two federal programs—the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)—have been established to address these disparities in access and are demonstrating positive results. The share of low-income households with a broadband subscription climbed from 64 percent to 76 percent between 2019 and 2021, a 12 percentage point increase.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) seeks approval to add 65 questions to the November 2023 edition of the US Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).

The Federal Communications Commission released Version 2 of the National Broadband Map. Three key takeaways from the latest data: