You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

Round-Up for the Week of April 26-30, 2021

CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect two corrections. 1) In the discussion of Senate Republicans’ broadband infrastructure investment, the author failed to note that House Democrats have proposed an $80 billion investment. The omission may have led to a misunderstanding that President Biden has proposed $80 billion for broadband infrastructure. He has not. 2) The author assumed the White House fact sheets were reporting stat-by-state access to broadband infrastructure that provides 100/10 speeds. That is incorrect. The fact sheets provide statistics on “areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.” President Biden has not taken a position on what constitutes “minimally acceptable speeds.” (Corrections highlighted in italics.)

This week, President Joe Biden addressed a joint session of Congress to offer an update on his first 100 days in office and to pitch his proposals for unprecedented public investment in America. A key element of President Biden's plan is a $100 billion investment to ensure everyone in the U.S. has access to affordable broadband internet access service. Democrats in the House and Senate have proposed $80 billion to deploy high-speed broadband infrastructure nationwide. In the address, the President said his American Jobs Plan "creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed Internet, including 35 percent of rural America that still doesn’t have it." He also announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the effort. 

Universal broadband is a bipartisan priority. Earlier this month, a group of Senate Republicans offered their own version of an infrastructure plan, calling for a $65 billion investment in broadband infrastructure. $80 billion. $65 billion. What's $15 billion between friends?  

To try to capture the scale of the U.S.'s broadband challenge, the White House released state-by-state fact sheets examining the status of each state's infrastructure. For broadband, the fact sheets look at what percentage of residents have access to broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds, how many providers compete to provide that service, and how many people remain unconnected. 

Alabama

• 16.8% of Alabamians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 55.4% of Alabamians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 18.4% of Alabama households do not have an internet subscription. 

Alaska

• 24.5% of Alaskans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 68.8% of Alaskans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 12% of Alaska households do not have an internet subscription. 

Arkansas

• 27% of Arkansans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 54% of Arkansans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 20% of Arkansas households do not have an internet subscription. 

Arizona

• 14% of Arizonans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 45% of Arizonans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 13% of Arizona households do not have an internet subscription. 

California

• 5.5% of Californians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 59.2% of Californians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 10% of California households do not have an internet subscription. 

Colorado

• 12.1% of Coloradans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 38.1% of Coloradans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 9% of Colorado households do not have an internet subscription. 

Connecticut

• Almost 18% of residents in Connecticut live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• Nearly 12% do not have an internet subscription. 
• 36% of low-income Connecticut households lack high-speed internet at home. [Learn more about Connecticut's digital divide]

District of Columbia

• Nearly 13% of District households do not have an internet subscription. 
• [Learn more about DC's digital divide]

Delaware

• Almost 4% of residents in Delaware live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• More than 40% of Delaware residents live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• 11% of Delaware households do not have an internet subscription.

Florida

• 6% of Floridians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 51.1% of Floridians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 13% of Florida households do not have an internet subscription.

Georgia

• 10% of Georgians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 38.8% of Georgians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 15% of Georgia households do not have an internet subscription.

Hawaii

• 44% of Hawaiians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.​
• 12% of Hawaii households do not have an internet subscription.

Iowa

• 13.4% of Iowans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 61% of Iowans live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• 16% of Iowa households do not have an internet subscription.

Idaho

• 24% of Idahoans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 64% of Idahoans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 11.6% of Idaho households do not have an internet subscription.

Illinois

• 7% of Illinoisans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 62% of Illinoisans live in areas where there is only one such provider. 
• 14% of Illinois households do not have an internet subscription. [Learn more about the digital divide in Illinois]

Indiana

• 12.4% of Hoosiers live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 48.4% of Hoosiers live in areas where there is only one such provider. 
• 16% of Indiana households do not have an internet subscription.

Kansas

• 14.3% of Kansans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 51% of Kansans live in areas where there is only one such provider. 
• 15% of Kansas households do not have an internet subscription.

Kentucky

• 12% of Kentuckians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 50% of Kentuckians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 17% of Kentucky households do not have an internet subscription.

Louisiana

• 14% of Louisianans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 60% of Louisianans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 19% of Louisiana households do not have an internet subscription.

Massachusetts

• 2.5% of Bay Staters live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 45.6% of Bay Staters live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 11.1% of Massachusetts households do not have an internet subscription.

Maryland

• 3.8% of Marylanders live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 34.5% of Marylanders live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 10.9% of Maryland households do not have an internet subscription. [See more on the digital divide in Maryland and Baltimore]

Maine

• 8% of Mainers live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 85.3% of Mainers live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 15% of Maine households do not have an internet subscription.

Michigan

• 8.9% of Michiganders live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 51.4% of Michiganders live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 14.1% of Michigan households do not have an internet subscription.

Minnesota

• 11.6% of Minnesotans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 62.7% of Minnesotans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 12.1% of Minnesota households do not have an internet subscription.

Missouri

• 18% of Missourians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 50% of Missourians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 15% of Missouri households do not have an internet subscription.

Mississippi

• 26% of Mississippians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 50.1% of Mississippians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 23% of Mississippi households do not have an internet subscription.

Montana

• 28% of Montanans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 64.6% of Montanans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 15% of Montana households do not have an internet subscription.

North Carolina

• 6.5% of North Carolinians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 56.3% of North Carolinians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 14% of North Carolina households do not have an internet subscription.

North Dakota

• 7% of North Dakotans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 56.7% of North Dakotans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 15% of North Dakota households do not have an internet subscription.

Nebraska

• 16.82% of Nebraskans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 50.98% of Nebraskans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 13% of Nebraska households do not have an internet subscription.

Nevada

• 8.6% of Nevadans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 72% of Nevadans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 14% of Nevada households do not have an internet subscription.

New Hampshire

• 5% of Granite Staters live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 62.7% of Granite Staters live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 10% of New Hampshire households do not have an internet subscription.

New Jersey

• 31.2% of New Jersey residents live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 10% of New Jersey households do not have an internet subscription. [Learn more about New Jersey's digital divide]

New Mexico

• 22% of New Mexico residents live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 68.9% of New Mexicans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 21% of New Mexico households do not have an internet subscription.

New York

• 31.4% of New Yorkers live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 13% of New York households do not have an internet subscription.
• (In response, New York recently established a requirement for affordable internet for qualifying low-income families)

Ohio

• 6.2% of Ohioans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 58.2% of Ohioans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 14% of Ohio households do not have an internet subscription.

Oklahoma

• 24% of Oklahomans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 55.5% of Oklahomans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 16% of Oklahoma households do not have an internet subscription.

Oregon

• 9.8% of Oregonians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 44.5% of Oregonians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 11% of Oregon households do not have an internet subscription.

Pennsylvania

• 5% of Pennsylvanians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 44% of Pennsylvanians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 14% of Pennsylvania households do not have an internet subscription.

Puerto Rico

• Over 13% of Puerto Ricans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 68.8% of Puerto Ricans live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• Nearly 40% of Puerto Rico households do not have an internet subscription.

Rhode Island

• More than 1.4% of Rhode Islanders live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 10.5% of Rhode Islanders live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• Over 12% of Rhode Island households do not have an internet subscription.

South Carolina

• More than 12% of South Carolinians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 55.5% of South Carolinians live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• Over 17% of South Carolina households do not have an internet subscription.

South Dakota

• 13% of South Dakotans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 48% of South Dakotans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 15% of South Dakota households do not have an internet subscription. 

Tennessee

• Nearly 10% of Tennesseans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 46.8% of Tennesseans live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• 17% of Tennessee households do not have an internet subscription.

Texas

• More than 12% of Texans live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 43.3% of Texans live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• 13.7% of Texas households do not have an internet subscription.

Utah

• 9.25% of Utahns live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 54.35% of Utahns live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 9.2% of Utah households do not have an internet subscription.

Virginia

• 9.7% of Virginians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 39.4% of Virginians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 13.3% of Virginia households do not have an internet subscription.

Vermont

• More than 14.5% of Vermonters live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 66.5% of Vermonters live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• Over 12% of Vermont households do not have an internet subscription.

Washington

• 8.49% of Washingtonians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 53.82% of Washington live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 8.8% of Washington households do not have an internet subscription.

Wisconsin

• More than 13.9% of Wisconsin residents live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 69% of Wisconsin residents live in areas where there is only one such provider.
• Approximately 14% of Wisconsin households do not have an internet subscription.

West Virginia

• 24% of West Virginians live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 66.8% of West Virginians live in areas where there is only one such internet provider.
• 19% of West Virginia households do not have an internet subscription.

Wyoming

• 27% of Wyomingites live in areas where, by one definition, there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds.
• 63.6% of Wyomingites live in areas where there is only one such internet provider. 
• Nearly 12% of Wyoming households do not have an internet subscription. 

Looking at all of these statistics across the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico has informed the Biden broadband agenda, which is not just about infrastructure but addresses competition as well to ensure everyone in America has affordable access to the robust broadband they need to fully participate in the 21st century.

Quick Bits

• FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit Program to Start May 12 (FCC)
• Vice President Harris will lead the Biden administration's push to bring every American online (Washington Post)
• About Half the Public Thinks Local Governments Should Be Able to Pursue Their Own Broadband Network Build-Outs (Morning Consult)
• It’s 2021. Why is Redlining Still Happening? (Public Knowledge)
• May 2021 Open Meeting Agenda (FCC)

Weekend Reads (resist tl;dr)

• The State of Broadband in America (BroadbandNow)
• Interview with Sen Klobuchar on Antitrust, Broadband Competition (Vox)
• Does Competition Between Cable and Fiber Increase Adoption? (Technology Policy Institute)
• Minutes before Trump left office, millions of the Pentagon’s dormant IP addresses sprang to life (Washington Post)

ICYMI from Benton

• America’s Broadband Moment: Creating a Broadband Competition Policy Agenda (Jonathan Sallet)
• Tell The Story We Know: Broadband Competition is Too Limited (Jonathan Sallet)
• Open-Access, Middle-Mile Networks: Deployment and Competition (Jordan Arnold, Jonathan Sallet)
• Is the FCC’s reverse auction fatally wounded or just bloodied? (Ziggy Rivkin-Fish)
• Show Us the Money: Federal Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Kevin Taglang)

Upcoming Events

May 5—Global Disinformation vs. Democracy—Confronting the Existential Threat (US Agency for Global Media)

May 5—First Responder Network Authority (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)

May 5—NTIA Grant Program: Connecting Minority Communities Webinar, Session 1a (NTIA)

May 6—Broadband Equity: Addressing Disparities in Access and Affordability (House Commerce Committee)

May 6—NTIA Grant Program: Connecting Minority Communities Webinar, Session 1b (NTIA)

May 12—Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Launch (FCC)

May 12—Legal Code: Reframing the Divide by Addressing Broadband Access Through Affordability and Inclusion (Silicon Flatirons)

May 20—May 2021 Open FCC Meeting

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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