Research

There has been continued debate about the best way to measure poverty in the United States since the first official U.S. poverty statistics were published in the mid-1960s. The U.S. Census Bureau releases two poverty measures each September. The first, called the official poverty measure, is based on cash resources. The second, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), includes both cash and noncash benefits and subtracts necessary expenses (such as taxes and medical expenses). The official poverty measure has remained mostly unchanged since it was introduced in the mid-1960s.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration seeks feedback under the Paperwork Reduction Act on a set of questions for the November 2027 edition of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. 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.

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program was designed to close the digital divide in the U.S., but the size and shape of that divide have changed dramatically since Congress created the program in November 2021. Private investment and other broadband programs have continued to connect locations, while BEAD, the largest-ever broadband grant program, has followed a circuitous path across two very different presidential administrations to finally get to the point of being able to dole out funds.

The acrimonious breakup between Anthropic and the Department of Defense played out largely in public. But despite the high-profile salvos between the artificial intelligence giant and the Pentagon, ostensibly over the ethics of 21st-century warfare and corporate power, their actual falling out hinged on a government contract that has remained hidden away. Through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit conducted with the help of Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology, The Intercept obtained more than 400 pages of documents related to the U.S.

Among the 27% of U.S. adults who use AI systems for social, emotional and personal purposes, a third consider their AI as a friend. Many have other striking views:

• 59% Agreed that “AI gives me the support I need”
• 53% Agreed that they “turn to AI for advice on how to handle difficult situations with other people”
• 50% Agreed that they use AI to “talk through personal problems or feelings”

Just over half of U.S. adults say they spend too much time on their smartphone. About a third of adults say their smartphone use is about right, while just 3% say they spend too little time using these devices. Younger adults stand out for describing their smartphone use as excessive. Seven-in-ten adults under 30 say they spend too much time on it, as do about two-thirds of those ages 30 to 49.

Access to broadband is critical for work, school, and healthcare. Federal programs have received billions of dollars in recent years to build broadband networks in remote or underserved areas. Some programs expect to complete these networks before the end of 2029—others in 2030 and beyond. Federal programs use Federal Communications Commission data to target funding to underserved areas. FCC accepts challenges from the public on the accuracy of its data and updates it as needed. But small communities and providers with few resources find the challenge process burdensome.

The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research program, created and funded by the by the U.S. National Science Foundation and industry consortium partners, announced that the Federal Communications Commission has created a new spectrum Innovation Zone to promote rural connectivity and precision agriculture research at the site of the ARA wireless testbed in Central Iowa.

This monthly installment of the Broadband in America Report builds on the prior semiannual 

A new "consensus-driven roadmap" on the future of the Universal Service Fund argues that universal service should be understood as an ongoing responsibility, not a goal to achieve, and offers six principles for Universal Service Fund reform.