Broadband

Join ITIF and Eno for a discussion on what the spectrum allocation process looks like, where it falters, and how to reform spectrum allocation to promote long-term safety and productivity. Food and beverages will be provided to all in-person attendees.

78 percent of registered voters support extending the Affordable Connectivity Program’s funding—specifically, 95 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Independents, and 64 percent of Republicans

Rather than fixating on Build America Buy America Act (BABA) mandates at the expense of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program’s more central goals, Office of Management and Budget should adopt guidance that recognizes the unique situation of broadband components and allows BABA mandates adapted to provide waivers as necessary to connect Americans to high-speed broadband as soon as possible.

Over the last few years, the inexpedient belief has emerged in broadband policy circles around the world that fiber optic broadband coverage must be a goal in and of itself and that any broadband that is not based on fiber cables is deficient. This is akin to saying that mobility is important, but only SUVs are adequate while sedans are deficient. The focus should not be on the particular physical medium through which bits move but on capacity and latency of networks.

An AT&T survey conducted in 21 states showed that as of October 2021, most consumers were not aware of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. The survey showed that older consumers and minority consumers were less likely to be aware of the EBB program.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could be the biggest step toward closing the geographic digital divide ever. The Commission should keep its eye on that goal and not give in to calls to stray from the statutory text to claim sweeping new power over broadband deployment. Here, the statutory text unambiguously permits only a disparate-treatment definition of digital discrimination. Independently and in the alternative, the Commission must closely scrutinize claims based on disparate impact claims to ensure that the threat of litigation does not perversely delay and diminish efforts to connect all Americans.

Join ITIF for a discussion about the current state of broadband in the United States, how to best assess U.S. broadband, what the remaining areas for improvement are, and the best practices for solving them.

There is a perennial policy debate over why the digital divide exists and what to do about it. An evenhanded look at broadband data show that U.S. broadband infrastructure is not the problem; it’s a lack of adoption that’s causing the digital divide to persist.

Critics argue U.S. broadband speeds are slow and the country’s broadband system overall is poor, but U.S. speeds actually are fast and outpace everyday demands. Focusing too much attention on speed simply diverts resources that otherwise could be used to close the digital divide.

As Yogi Berra once said, making predictions is hard, especially about the future. So, looking ahead to the New Year, ITIF can offer predictions with only 90 percent confidence. The other half is prescriptive.