Connected Nation

This paper argues that with fiber and gigabit cable now reaching most US locations, bandwidth is no longer the binding constraint on internet performance—latency is. The authors contend that latency is determined largely outside the last mile, by middle-mile fiber, peering density, and proximity to Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), so the massive public investment in last-mile deployment does little to address it. They distinguish AI training, which follows power supply, from AI inference, which follows network performance.

What happens when powerful technology becomes accessible to smaller broadband providers? Ian Oliver of Globema discusses the software, automation, and AI tools helping tier-two and tier-three internet service providers work smarter, design networks faster, and better serve their customers.

The wait is finally over: with nearly $20 billion in federal funding flowing to states, millions of people will get the connectivity they need. From education to healthcare, the ripple effects on our economy and daily lives will be monumental. But there’s a catch. This investment only delivers for communities that are prepared to meet it. Over the past year, Connected Nation visited some of America’s most underserved communities—from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to far West Texas—to educate, listen, and share information. The specifics varied by geography, but the pattern did not.

Given that many households across the country struggle to afford home internet service, local comparisons are critical for understanding the factors that influence internet pricing. Examining what drives local internet price differences is vital to understanding internet affordability nationwide and informing efforts to close the Digital Divide. This research revolves around two central questions: First, to what extent do internet prices vary across neighborhoods in the same city? Second, what neighborhood-level characteristics account for these price differences?

Connected Nation believes in the importance of sustained, reliable internet connectivity for every household. In this report, CN looks at “internet insecure” households whose internet adoption has been in flux. What we found underscores a need to address the issue of internet insecurity: not only do Americans need to get connected, but to benefit from broadband, they must STAY connected. Key findings include:

Connected Nation unveiled its new interactive dashboard, the BEAD Tracker. The dashboard provides easy access to states’ plans for spending federal funds that were allocated through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program’s Benefit of the Bargain round. The BEAD Tracker compiles and aggregates state BEAD final proposals, highlighting how each state and U.S. territory intends to use its allocated federal BEAD dollars.