How State and Local Leaders Can Use Data to Ensure Broadband Access for All

Source: Route Fifty By Debbie Cox Bultan and Nichole Dunn

COMMENTARY | To maximize the $65 billion in federal funds available to expand high-speed internet, governments must first identify the biggest barriers to access in their communities.

A lasting image from early in the pandemic is of two students sitting on the curb in a fast-food restaurant parking lot, using the restaurant’s Wi-Fi to complete their schoolwork. The pandemic exposed how much our lives have moved online—from work to education to health care to government services—and the deep divide between those with and without internet access.

The need to expand high-speed internet access is clear, but broadband data does not deliver an accurate picture of where households lack connectivity and does not measure the impact of affordability and other obstacles like connection speed that go beyond just physical access to a broadband connection. To fully address the digital divide, policymakers need more detailed information on affordability, reliability, speed and inequities in access to make sound decisions about broadband investments for their communities.

The $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $65 billion to help ensure that every American has access to a high-quality broadband connection. Policymakers have a historic opportunity to help close the digital divide, but they will need better data to achieve this goal.