Data & Mapping

The Technology Policy Institute's Broadband Connectivity Index (BCI) built into the TPI Broadband Map is derived using a principal components analysis that explicitly takes into account many factors of access to broadband.

As you might imagine, we thought there would be exciting news to share today about broadband. Not so much. As we wait for a vote on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (could it come today?

There are several root causes of the digital divide: lack of available broadband, lack of affordable solutions and other barriers to adoption, such as digital literacy and housing instability. Though no one policy will solve all parts of the puzzle, and a comprehensive strategy is needed, public policy efforts can’t be effective without a better understanding of where gaps exist. We urge our colleagues in state and local governments to ensure investments are driven by detailed, reliable data.

To help close the digital divide, federal programs provide funding to support broadband deployment in unserved areas. According to the Federal Communications Commission, these programs rely on data the FCC collects from broadband providers to identify which areas are and are not served to target their limited funds. This report describes the FCC's progress in developing a location fabric and the challenges stakeholders identified that the FCC faces in doing so.

Despite nearly 70,000 North Carolina households and businesses conducting internet connection speed tests as part of a year-long survey, the state “still has a lot more to do” before it can begin a $1 billion broadband expansion, according to state officials. The survey, launched in July 2020 by North Carolina State University’s Friday Institute, found that at least 450,000 households, or roughly 10 percent of the state, lacks adequate broadband coverage.

With the federal government slow to produce better maps of broadband internet coverage, state leaders are stepping up with their own efforts that they say will yield more granular information that leads to better decisions on the infrastructure buildout. Virginia became the latest state to unveil an effort to revamp its statewide broadband map in summer 2021, following Georgia's map launched in 2020.

Do you have concerns about whether students and families in your community or school have adequate, consistent access to the internet and digital devices?

The Technology Policy Institute is adding a “Broadband Connectivity Index” (BCI) to the TPI Broadband Map. The BCI incorporates information from multiple datasets in a way that makes it possible to compare overall connectivity objectively and consistently across geographic areas.

The Missouri House of Representatives’ Special Interim Committee on Broadband Development is working to develop a better understanding of broadband’s role across multiple aspects of everyday living, including education, entrepreneurship and economic development, government services, precision agriculture and telemedicine. The committee asked, can we measure the extent to which affordable broadband improves educational outcomes, labor market participation, or population growth? Fortunately, researchers constantly are adding to our collective knowledge. The following data measures:

Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel sent a letter to Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) on August 30, 2021 to respond to his letters on the collection of broadband deployment data.