Broadband Access and Regulation
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ITIF supports policies that encourage private investment in broadband infrastructure, improve affordability and digital inclusion, and enhance the development of all broadband technologies, including fiber, cable, terrestrial wireless, and satellite. We advocate for light-touch regulation to sustain innovation, support mergers that deliver consumer benefits, and ensure a level playing field for private ISPs and American content companies.
Featured
Uncapped Fiber Fixation Can’t Close the Digital Divide
If states or NTIA plan to spend tens of thousands of dollars per home on deployment and thereby deny affordability support to millions, they should be prepared to explain why they’re spending most or all their money on 3 percent of the problem.
BEAD Needs All Technologies to Succeed
The administration should reform the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to stop favoring overly expensive fiber when LEO satellites could do the same job for less. Taking a technology-neutral approach to broadband deployment would save money that could be better spent on other causes of the digital divide.
A Blueprint for Broadband Affordability
Congress should create a more targeted and durable Affordable Connectivity Program by aligning funding priorities with the remaining causes of the digital divide. By prioritizing affordability rather than deployment, the new program can connect low-income households without new federal spending.
Sustain Affordable Connectivity By Ending Obsolete Broadband Programs
New broadband funding programs necessitate dramatic reforms to old programs. We should reverse the status quo and sustain the Affordable Connectivity Program by shrinking the redundant hodgepodge of federal broadband programs.
The State of US Broadband in 2022: Reassessing the Whole Picture
In absolute terms, the United States is among the world’s leaders in deploying fast broadband, and it does so at competitive prices. But there is room for improvement on broadband adoption.
More Publications and Events
September 15, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Letter to the USF Working Group Regarding the Future of the Universal Service Fund
While distribution reform is the best way to shrink the contribution factor, Congress should also reform USF funding to come from general appropriations, or some other method of encompassing the entire U.S. tax base.
September 15, 2025|Reports & Briefings
How the Universal Service Fund Can Better Serve Consumers While Spending Less
Congress should reform and refocus the Universal Service Fund. It spends too much money, prioritizes the wrong problems, and funds it all with a high, sector-specific tax rate. Congress should reduce the overall size of the program and fund it with general revenue.
September 9, 2025|Blogs
BEAD’s Benefit of the Bargain Round So Far: The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain
States are starting to reveal how they’ll spend their $42 billion in BEAD broadband funds—and the early results show both promise and pitfalls. Some states are driving down costs and saving billions for adoption and affordability, while others risk burning through their budgets on expensive deployments. The stakes are high: BEAD will only succeed if it closes the digital divide on both access and affordability.
September 8, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Comments to the FCC Regarding Its Inquiry on Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capability
The Commission should ground its analysis in consumer experience rather than arbitrary thresholds, and recognize that it is time to recalibrate its priorities to address adoption and affordability barriers that remain the primary drivers of the digital divide.
September 4, 2025|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles
FCC Gives the US a Boost in Subsea Cable Competition With China
The FCC’s new rules to streamline subsea cable approvals strengthen U.S. competitiveness against China by cutting red tape, accelerating deployment, and encouraging investment in critical digital infrastructure.
September 2, 2025|Blogs
Fact of the Week: Access to Broadband Internet Increases Intergenerational Mobility by up to 12.3 Percent
A new working paper finds that income rank increased by between 6 and 12.3 percent between fathers and sons in Norway after the roll-out of broadband.
August 26, 2025|Events
Embracing Competition in the Changing Broadband and Video Marketplace
Watch now for a panel discussion exploring how the broadband landscape is changing, what it means for providers and consumers, and why regulation needs to better reflect today’s dynamic environment.
August 8, 2025|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles
Trump’s Copper Tariff Increases Are Threats to Communications Infrastructure
Trump’s proposed copper tariffs would supercharge theft, hike consumer costs, and entrench outdated broadband infrastructure—all while threatening public safety.
July 25, 2025|Blogs
Why the Charter-Cox Merger Is a Win for Consumers
Deploying broadband infrastructure requires ISPs to incur steep upfront costs that they recoup over time in consumers’ monthly bills. Market concentration can help keep prices down by spreading out fixed costs among a larger number of customers.
July 21, 2025|Blogs
Fact of the Week: Missouri Has Seen a 200 Percent Annual Increase in Fiber Optic Cable Vandalism
Over the last year, Missouri has seen a 200 percent increase in the number of broadband crimes.
