Data & Mapping

NTIA Creates First Interactive Map to Show the National Digital Divide

This digital map displays key indicators of broadband needs across the country.  The “Indicators of Broadband Need” tool is the first interactive, public map that allows users to explore different datasets about where people do not have quality Internet access. It contains data aggregated at the county, census tract, and census block level from the US Census Bureau, the Federal Communications Commission, Measurement Lab, Ookla, and Microsoft.

Areas with internet ‘black holes’ renew fight for broadband

For decades, policymakers in Washington and state capitals have fretted about the patchwork of broadband access in the United States, which has held back economic development in underserved areas and became a major problem during the pandemic. Now, after years of federal subsidies that have improved but not solved the problem, the Biden administration is proposing to spend $100 billion over the next eight years to finally connect every American household to high-speed internet. But solving the problem isn’t just a matter of cutting a big check to fund the installation of fiber pipelines.

Glitches and confusion are blocking users from Emergency Broadband Benefit Program assistance

The Federal Communications Commission has already signed up 2.3 million households for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which was designed to help low-income users with affordable internet access during the pandemic. But while the agency is heralding these numbers as a success, the program appears to be plagued by ongoing issues that are causing some internet service providers to block eligible Americans from accessing up to $50 a month off of their internet bills.

2.3 Million Households Sign Up for Emergency Broadband Benefit

Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program enrolled over 2.3 million households in all 50 states, Washington (DC), Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and American Samoa. Additionally, at the agency’s direction, the  Universal Service Administrative Company debuted a new data dashboard for advocates, members of Congress, and the general public to track the progress of the Emerge

Sen Schatz Leads Group Of 20 Sens In Calling On Federal Agencies To Share Data, Work Together To Expand Access To High-Speed Internet

Sen Brian Schatz (D-HI) led a group of 20 senators in calling on the leaders of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to share data to identify communities without high-speed internet access and work together to improve broadband connectivity. In a letter to the agency leaders, the senators also called on them to collaborate and find ways to ensure families in need also have information on accessing Lifeline, an existing federal phone and internet service program. “We urge HUD and USDA t

New York's Digital Divide

The COVID-19 pandemic has vividly demonstrated the disadvantages of lacking home internet service. One in four (4) households in New York State do not have a foundational tool for internet connectivity – a wireline high-speed internet subscription for their home. These gaps are more pronounced for low-income New Yorkers, older adults, and communities of color. The following data shines a light on access to digital tools in New York State using 2019 American Community Survey data. Key datapoints are as follows:

Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2021

Smartphone ownership (85%) and home broadband subscriptions (77%) have increased among American adults since 2019 – from 81% and 73% respectively. Though modest, both increases are statistically significant and come at a time when a majority of Americans say the internet has been important to them personally. And 91% of adults report having at least one of these technologies. A Pew Research Center survey also finds that some Americans have difficulties when trying to go online.

Electricity transformed rural America nearly a century ago. Now, millions of people on farms and in small towns desperately need broadband.

At a time when people can work remotely and run businesses from practically anywhere, the internet should be a boon to the rural economy. Not only could it keep Wisconsin's signature farming industry connected, it could help curb population losses in small towns, where many young people feel they must leave for opportunities elsewhere. Yet a significant portion of rural Wisconsin — if it has access to the internet at all — lacks access at broadband speeds, meaning a connection of at least 25 megabit per second downloads and 3 Mbps uploads.

Gigabit-Speed Subscribers Continue to Rise; Six Month Increase of 75%

Although data usage moderated in Q1 2021 after pandemic-fueled rapid growth in 2020, subscribers continued to adapt to the new broadband environment by embracing faster speeds. Almost one-tenth (9.8%) of all subscribers were provisioned for gigabit speeds at the end of Q1, a year-over-year increase of 261% from the 1Q20 figure of 3.8% and a 15% increase from the 8.5% adoption rate in 4Q20. Over the past two quarters the percentage of subscribers provisioned for gigabit-speed service has risen 75%, from 5.6% in 3Q20.

AT&T/Verizon lobby keeps claiming that home-Internet prices are dropping

US government data shows that home-Internet customers pay more each year and that average broadband expenditures are rising faster than inflation, but cable and telecom lobbies keep claiming that broadband prices are getting lower. The latest example came  from USTelecom—which represents AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink/Lumen, Frontier, and other DSL and fiber Internet providers. The group unveiled the latest version of its Broadband Pricing Index [BPI] that measures prices for residential Internet service.

OTI Statement on Flawed US Telecom Report

Today’s USTelecom report is the latest in a spate of flawed and deeply conflicted research from internet service providers on the price of their own service. It is curious that USTelecom would rely on third-party surveys rather than get the pricing data directly from its ISP members. If internet service is as affordable as USTelecom claims, ISPs could prove it by disclosing their pricing data to the Federal Communications Commission.

Free Press Rebuts USTelecom's Latest Flawed and Misleading Claims on Broadband Prices

Today’s USTelecom update is just more of the same grossly misleading and inaccurate analysis of broadband prices first seen in a prior report released last year. This new report, like the earlier versions, falsely asserts that the broadband prices internet users pay are declining.

2021 Broadband Pricing Index Report

Using Federal Communications Commission and other public data sources to assess recent trends in residential fixed broadband pricing in the United States. The analysis reveals continued substantial price reductions for both the most popular and highest-speed broadband internet services. The data show consumers are also benefiting from marked increases in the speeds they receive for their broadband dollar.

A Tale of Two Homes in Spectrum Territory: What Competition Does to Pricing

Competition is a wonderful thing. A case in point is the enormous difference Charter Spectrum charges new customers in areas where competition exists, and where it does not. Stop the Cap! compared promotional new customer offers in the metro Rochester (NY) market where Spectrum faces token competition from Frontier’s slow speed DSL service. Then we checked pricing in neighborhoods where a fiber to the home overbuilder called Greenlight also offers service. Spectrum does not even bother offering new customers its entry-level 200 Mbps plan in areas where it has significant fiber competition.

Tackling the Digital Divide with Ready-to-Use Content + Policy

Where will public broadband funding make the greatest impact? As any GIS professional will tell you, the most effective way to distribute resources is to use the power of location. Recognizing where there is need by mapping the important aspects can often be the first step to success. In order to find the areas of need first requires spatial data to be accessible.

Request for Comments on NTIA's Draft Internet Use Survey

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration seeks approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to add 67 questions to the Nov 2021 edition of the US Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS). This collection of questions is known as the NTIA Internet Use Survey, and is also referred to as the CPS Computer and Internet Use Supplement. NTIA has sponsored fifteen such surveys since 1994.

Sen. Ron Wyden pushes to raise standards for stimulus-funded broadband

Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) is calling on the Treasury Department to fund broadband projects in communities without access to 100Mbps upload and download speeds with the money allocated by the American Rescue Plan earlier in 2021. The plan’s language suggests funding can only go to “unserved” or “underserved” communities.

Updating broadband mapping key to expanding access in Loudoun, FCC acting chairwoman says

Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said more a comprehensive map of where broadband internet service is currently available is needed before gaps in coverage can be addressed. Speaking along with Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10th) at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building in Ashburn, Chairwoman Rosenworcel said updating the map is one of several initiatives the FCC has launched to address broadband infrastructure needs across the country.

Redzone flags $500,000 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund funding mix up

Maine-based fixed wireless access (FWA) provider Redzone Wireless followed Charter Communications in seeking a waiver from commitments made in the Federal Communication Commission’s recent Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction on the grounds its promised deployments would be redundant. In December 2020, Redzone won $507,752 in RDOF support to cover 755 locations in its home state with broadband service.

A lesson from the pandemic: Every American household needs and deserves reliable internet service

The digital divide presents an obvious problem, but there is an obvious solution: Making the necessary investments to bring high-quality broadband to every zip code in America. Investing in broadband will jump-start economic growth by creating good-paying jobs, ensure our children are not falling behind in their coursework, empower small businesses, improve life on our farms, and protect our most vulnerable seniors by expanding access to telehealth. This isn’t an easy undertaking, but we can’t be afraid to make a big, bold investment. 

FTC Sues Frontier Communications for Misrepresenting Internet Speeds

The Federal Trade Commission, along with law enforcement agencies from six states, sued Internet service provider Frontier Communications, alleging that the company did not provide many consumers with Internet service at the speeds it promised them, and charged many of them for more expensive and higher-speed service than Frontier actually provided. In a complaint, the FTC and its state partners allege that Frontier advertised and sold Internet service in several plans, or tiers, based on download speed.

Charter requests limited Rural Digital Opportunity Fund waiver after finding lots of inaccuracies

Charter Communications filed a waiver request on May 11 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) related to its award in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction. Charter, like all RDOF auction winners, promised to bring broadband to unserved areas.

Measuring Library Broadband Networks Dataverse

Measuring Library Broadband Networks for the National Digital Platform, is a research grant from by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant for Libraries program (award #LG-71-18-0110-18). The research is led by Dr.