Research

The Future of the Affordable Connectivity Program

A look at potential changes to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) eligibility criteria based on participation in social benefits programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Public Assistance Income (PAP). These potential changes would have broad impacts since the National Verifier (NV) uses program participation rather than income to confirm eligibility for over 90 percent of ACP applications.

Online Nation 2023 Report

This research examines how people in the UK are spending their time online.

Network slicing and net neutrality

Whether network slicing complies with the net neutrality rules currently in force in Europe and previously applicable in the U.S. presents a key issue in the deployment of 5G. In many ways, both regimes frame the issues in a similar manner, with the exceptions for reasonable traffic management and specialised services likely to play the most important roles.

Promotion of high-capacity broadband in the face of increasing global stress

Geopolitical tensions have compounded supply chain disruptions that were already visible during the pandemic in ways that make achievement of ubiquitous broadband even more difficult and potentially more expensive than in the past. Promotion of broadband deploymentadoption and use are all important for both fixed and mobile broadband; however, different policy levers are needed in each case, on both the supply and demand sides. The market will not always deliver complete solutions.

Developing a conceptual framework for digital platform literacy

This paper introduces the innovative concept of platform literacy, specifically within the context of digital platforms. In today's digital economy, where digital platforms are essential tools in people's lives and form the core of the digital ecosystem, the ability to effectively utilize these platforms is becoming crucial. This study systematically examines the existing literature on digital platforms and digital literacy to establish a conceptual foundation for assessing an individual's platform literacy.

The High Cost if Connectivity Has a Disparate Impact on Public School Students

Access to an equal educational experience is a legal right in the U.S. With the overwhelming dependence of technology in today’s educational system, internet access should also be the legal right of every student.

Over Half of America Now Has Access To Fiber

Tracking fiber penetration across the U.S. broadband market provides valuable insights into technological adoption and accessibility. This study is our attempt to solve this issue. Key Findings:

More Americans are getting news on TikTok, bucking the trend seen on most other social media sites

A small but growing share of U.S. adults say they regularly get news on TikTok. This is in contrast with many other social media sites, where news consumption has either declined or stayed about the same in recent years. In just three years, the share of U.S. adults who say they regularly get news from TikTok has more than quadrupled, from 3 percent in 2020 to 14 percent in 2023. TikTok, primarily known for short-form video sharing, has become especially popular among teens—two-thirds of whom report ever using the platform—as well as young adults. More of TikTok’s U.S.

National Spectrum Strategy

As required by the Presidential Memorandum titled Modernizing United States Spectrum Policy and Establishing a National Spectrum Strategy, the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), prepared this National Spectrum Strategy to both promote private-sector innovation and further the missions of federal departments and agencies, submitting it to the President through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Director of the Office

Internet price, speed, and disparity: The case of rural healthcare providers in the United States

Healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients are increasingly relying on telehealth services (healthcare provision over the internet) to provide and seek care. It turns internet access disparities into a health equity concern, i.e., poor internet access can contribute to poor health. In response, two Federal Communications Commission programs in the United States—Healthcare Connect Fund and the Telecom Program—subsidize internet access for HCPs in rural or remote areas.