Broadband Affordability: Assessing the Cost of Broadband for Low-and-Moderate Income Communities in Cities

A new community-level measure of broadband affordability that considers local median monthly household income and costs of living relative to local costs for broadband. Key findings of the study include:

• This study introduces a new community-level measure of broadband affordability that considers local median monthly household income and costs of living relative to local costs for broadband.
• Low- and moderate-income communities pay a notably higher share of their income for broadband— 2.43% compared to 0.51% in wealthier areas—exceeding the Federal Communications Commission’s 2% affordability benchmark.
• In cities where broadband is less affordable, households are more likely to use slower or lower-quality plans due to cost or limited infrastructure. In areas with the least affordable broadband, 26.7% of households rely solely on mobile devices, limiting access to jobs, financial services, and other key resources.
• Data on broadband pricing is still scarce in small and rural areas, limiting the ability for businesses, government, and community anchor institutions to understand the economic costs and benefits of broadband infrastructure. This underscores the need for localized pricing data to support digital access research.