This policy brief argues that the economy is stronger and educational opportunities are greater, thanks in part to high-speed Internet access. It discusses the benefits that greater broadband penetration can have on the economic, education, and health. A recommendation to broaden access to broadband is to reform the FCC's Lifeline program to include broadband and make the program more efficient and accountable.

This needs assessment and spending plan presented by CENIC identifies the broadband needs of the California public library system, including faster internet and an infrastructure plan to support connectivity. It recommends that the public library system joins California's preexisting Research & Education Network to become part of a larger "education ecology".

This resource from May 2021 discusses President Joe Biden's appointment of Vice President Harris to lead the broadband component of his infrastructure plan. The article acknowledges the two core issues that must be resolved for the broadband bill to pass: prioritizing expenditures for unserved areas and moving beyond temporary solutions to address the adoption problem for low-income families.

This resource from the Brookings Institution discusses the benefits and costs of broadband expansion, and the potential for significant economic impact that result from investment into broadband. It argues that while barriers and challenges to expansion exist, increased access and usage of broadband infrastructure in rural areas has the potential to increase property values, job and population growth, and business formation.

This resource explains the four primary pieces of broadband policy in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and how they can help move America toward its long-held goals of universal broadband access and adoption. Firstly, the largest part of the IIJA's $65 billion is a $42.5 billion appropriation to fund network deployment. Second, the IIJA includes a subsidy for low-income Americans to connect to broadband. Third, the Senate orders the FCC to come up with a plan to reform universal service. Finally, the fourth component provides a surge of funding to address digital training and literacy.

This part of a multi-section series from the Brookings Institution on the American Rescue Plan (ARP) argues that the ARP can address immediate broadband needs while laying the foundation for more durable digital equity and that closing the digital divide begins with this kind of investment, as the digital divide won't go away on its own.

This article analyzes the potential of of capital and legislative support to bolster open-access networks (OANs). Though the fiber rollout has accelerated, fiber adoption is still low in the U.S. compared with other countries. This resource discusses how OANs have the potential to significantly disrupt the telecom ecosystem in the U.S. and positions them as the solution for under-penetration of fiber across the country.

This article questions whether emerging fiber-to-the-home innovations could make copper-based coax cabling antiquated. The resource examines different technologies that pose trouble for the future of cable modem technology, such as switches and customer premise equipment, to ponder if copper will eventually become an obsolete technology.

An assessment built to answer the Blandin Foundation’s question, “What do we need to know to do better?” The Blandin Foundation strives to understand its impact in communities through the Blandin Community Broadband Program (BCBP) as it invests in digital literacy skills and affordability programs.

A paper designed for city officials seeking affordable, abundant bandwidth in their communities. It reviews the current landscape of broadband networks, outlines best practices, summarizes existing models, and presents a framework through which community leaders can begin developing projects given the city's specific circumstances.

This resource presents findings from studies that sought to gain a deeper understanding of the ability of low-income individuals to pay for home broadband connection. The findings show that those with a limited monthly budget had an acute understanding of the value of home broadband and, as such, prioritized other expenses.

This paper offers key principles and highlights practical broadband deployment and adoption solutions to increase agricultural productivity and sustainability. Farmers need connectivity in the farmhouse, field, and community for sustainable, data-driven agriculture, and providing practical solutions gives them the necessary tools for innovative farming practices.

As the FCC prepared to launch the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, this blog argued that federal funds for the construction of broadband networks should focus solely on future-proof, scalable networks that will last at least a decade. Because previous requirements for broadband performance failed to look to the future, more money will be spent to build new networks again in the same places. The author states the use of new funding can be fiscally responsible if directed towards future-proof networks.

This blog details examples of limited broadband competition and its impact on pricing for customers. People with only one or two broadband providers have no choice but to pay high monopoly or duopoly prices. Local communities should have the freedom to help their people fully participate in a broadband world, which cannot be accomplished with the lack of competition.

This resource ardently argues for the support of community anchor institutions in comprehensive national strategies to promote broadband availability due to their provision of essential services such as education, information access, and telehealth. As anchor institutions can serve as points of stability and strength, they can be critical in helping America navigate its broadband future.