Lived Broadband Policy: Experiencing the Affordable Connectivity Program

Public policy analysis overwhelmingly hews toward the quantitative. In the context of broadband policy research, quantitative data gleaned from surveys and other sources can illuminate how connectivity initiatives like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) perform based on standardized metrics like enrollment counts, fund distribution, and the speed of broadband connections. However, these standardized metrics tell us little about how these initiatives affect the daily life of the very people enrolled in and often dependent on government subsidies for basic internet service. In contrast, qualitative research methods—such as interviews, focus groups, and ethnography—can offer granular insights into the human impact of broadband policy. We examined how low-income Philadelphians got online during the rollout of the ACP, which offered subsidies to eligible low-income subscribers for low-cost internet service. We explored how low-income residents encountered and navigated the tapestry of public, private, and nonprofit institutions that together comprise Philadelphia’s digital equity landscape. Our research revealed three central findings. First, participants tended to learn about ACP through word of mouth rather than from official outreach initiatives. Second, participants felt that Comcast’s Internet Essentials plan was a second-class internet service that was insufficient for their everyday connectivity needs. Finally, uncertainty about the future of ACP and its eventual expiration caused significant stress among participants. 

[Dr. Pawel Popiel and Dr. David Elliot Berman are Marjorie & Charles Benton Opportunity Fund fellows.]