Assessing the Landscape
An important first step in any community broadband or digital inclusion initiative is assessing the current landscape and taking note of specific challenges or obstacles, as well as opportunities and available resources.
A wealth of information is available to local leaders interested in understanding the current state of broadband access in their communities. Resources of federal agencies and other organizations can provide valuable context as communities begin to think about their greatest needs.
Existing Infrastructure and Service Availability
- The FCC regularly compiles a wealth of data on local broadband service. This information is publicly available on the FCC.gov website. Communities are likely to find the FCC’s Broadband Progress Report to be particularly useful. This valuable resource provides broadband information by state and county. There are also links to interactive maps. A specific address can be entered to return information about the availability of broadband access and speed in the area. The FCC also provides information on the number of fixed connections per 1,000 households (rates of adoption) by census tract and the number of fixed providers of residential service at various speeds.
- Some cities are also engaging their local tech communities to better understand existing service levels in different neighborhoods. By partnering with the community and civic hackers, the city of Louisville, Kentucky, launched a tool to help gain a better understanding of the quality versus cost of local broadband services. SpeedUpLouisville.com is a citizen engagement tool that identifies the areas of highest-quality service and the areas of greatest need. It works by collecting user-generated information about local broadband service speeds, rates, and service quality in the community. After collection, the anonymized data are displayed on an interactive map and made available for free download. The project aims to increase transparency about Internet service quality in Louisville.
- The FCC also offers resources for individuals and communities that want to test the quality of their wireline and wireless Internet. People can download free Android and iPhone apps to test their mobile connections.
State Laws Impacting Municipal Broadband
- With regard to expanding broadband access, the local legislative environment may shape what is possible. State laws that favor incumbent ISPs may restrict direct municipal provision of broadband service to businesses or consumers. Currently, more than 20 states limit the creation or expansion of municipal broadband networks that serve the public.
- The American Legislative Exchange Council has supported state legislation to limit the expansion of broadband service with the naming convention "'State Name' Local Government Fair Competition Act." Despite the name, these laws can make it more difficult for municipalities and states to build broadband networks and serve the general public via those networks.
- State legislatures in Tennessee and North Carolina passed legislation that geographically limits the expansion of broadband access. This legislation presented challenges for Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Wilson, North Carolina, as both cities were seeking to expand their local broadband networks to adjacent communities. A 2015 FCC ruling, brought about by petitions from Chattanooga and Wilson, pre-empted the state laws that sought to limit expansion of broadband access in those communities. However, Tennessee and North Carolina appealed the ruling, and it was overturned by the Sixth Court of Appeals in 2016.
The Nature of the Digital Divide
- Local leaders should seek to understand the issues and factors contributing to the digital divide in their communities. National research suggests that lower-income residents, elderly residents, and racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to take advantage of high-speed Internet. An understanding of the underserved populations at the community level and the reasons that they are underserved will be critical in order to develop a strategy for greater digital inclusion.
- Digital literacy is a very important component of digital inclusion. Many individuals do not take advantage of high-speed Internet because they do not have (or do not believe they have) the requisite skills. A 2016 study by the Pew Research Center found that 52 percent of U.S. adults are not likely to use digital tools for learning due to their professed lower level of skills and trust in the online environment. Many communities conduct their own surveys of digital literacy to collect locally relevant data. Communities that have conducted local digital literacy studies include Chicago, Illinois, and Austin, Texas.
- High cost of service is another factor that can contribute to a lack of digital inclusion. Especially in smaller and rural communities that may have limited network infrastructure and few service providers, the monthly cost of broadband may be more than many residents can afford, or are willing to pay.
- Lack of access to a device may be another factor limiting local digital inclusion. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 16.2 percent of U.S. households in 2013 did not have a computer at home.7 Increasingly, smart phones are being used to access high-speed Internet, but a number of the applications most important to economic mobility (e.g., creating a resume, applying to a job, performing academic research) require a personal computer.
7. Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2013, Thom File and Camille Ryan, November 2014, ACS-28, ↩