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This resource describes the aspects of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that are related to broadband affordability.

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This resource describes the aspects of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that are related to broadband adoption.

This resource describes the aspects of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that are related to broadband deployment.

This report discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a number of trends in broadband, leading to a significant wave of public-private collaboration.

An exploration of the shared risks and rewards of the emerging public infrastructure/private service partnership model. The piece defines and describes the model (and its variations) from both a business and technical standpoint and summarizes case study examples from across the United States.

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This blog examines the flawed outcomes of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), including the role of the process’ bidding mechanisms. The piece also explores how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) might support more productive outcomes in future reverse auctions.

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This paper describes the commonalities among many of the best state rural broadband funding programs and recommends best practices. The paper also explores the planning and design phases, and the program execution, monitoring, and adjustment phases.

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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.

A resource discussing the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction and its results, which reveal that the FCC likely did not attain its goal of bringing affordable, reliable service to rural areas. As many federal and state grant programs will not fund projects that overlap with a previously awarded area, many unserved communities will find themselves in limbo.

An article that offers recommendations for a comprehensive, national broadband strategy to ensure everyone in America can access high-performance broadband as soon as possible. These recommendations highlight actions that can be taken by the Biden Administration, Congress, and the FCC.

This synopsis provides a link to a blog with additional resources from the Benton Institute to explain what federal broadband funds are available and to assist state and local leaders to meet connectivity challenges and promote digital equity.

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.

This resource briefly details the benefits of constructing open-access, middle-mile networks to provide savings that spur last-mile providers to build further and faster. These open-access, middle-mile models promote private investment and competition.

This statement expresses how the lack of broadband competition disproportionately impacts low-income subscribers. The author suggests policy solutions, including gathering pricing data to promote and assess competition, or expanding competition for residents in multi-tenant locations.

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.

This blog from January 2020 argues that the state of broadband is uncertain. Despite robust broadband accessibility, there is little competition, and not everyone has the digital skills to utilize the networks that do exist. Different facets of the challenge in providing universal broadband must be addressed to reach the ultimate goal of providing universal, high-performance broadband by the end of the decade.

This resource discusses the importance of electric cooperatives and publicly owned municipal electric utilities in the delivery of broadband services. The piece states that they provide access to essential infrastructure while having lower risks and fewer entry costs. Rural electric co-ops are critical to the deployment of broadband in places without any service and they can also provide competitive choices in areas with service.

This resource argues for the inclusion of broadband in Congress' stimulus bill, the CARES Act. Broadband deployment, competition, affordability, adoption, and connectivity to community anchor institutions combine to form essential parts of an agenda for change.

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This resource examines the necessity and benefits of enabling community anchor institutions to connect to users. Studies from 24 rural communities reveal how libraries’ hotspot-lending programs gave families access to the broader information environment and helped students access educational material.

Broadband’s value lies within its ability to connect people to opportunity and society to new solutions. This resource considers the positive benefits of broadband adoption, such as economic growth and civic engagement.

This resource provides four steps to increase E-Rate connectivity and competition. Empowering schools and libraries to take advantage of competition helps drive down the cost of connectivity and the E-Rate program provides the discounts to make broadband internet access more affordable.