The digital skills required to effectively use broadband are often elusive. This resource details the importance of supporting digital skills to increase broadband adoption.

This blog offers seven ways for governments to tackle the broadband affordability challenge in America, as cost is a primary reason people do not subscribe to broadband. The author offers such recommendations as spurring competition, protecting and strengthening Lifeline, helping subsidize programs for low-income people, and educating and protecting consumers.

The Benton Institute’s Jonathan Sallet examines how community anchor institutions can serve as a launching pad for community-based broadband access and more broadband competition. Communities may be able to share infrastructure in order to bring better commercial services to unserved and underserved areas.

This piece from The Benton Institute examines the ways governments can ensure competitive choices for renters in multi-tenant environments (MTE), as the lack of competition contributes to the nation's broadband affordability challenges. The author recommends that Congress and the FCC act on anticompetitive practices and prohibit contracts that discourage access to broadband, and that state and local governments lower the barrier to entry.

This piece argues for Congress to establish a broadband credit to ensure everyone can afford broadband, as the debate of its status as a luxury or essential connection is over. Broadband is a critical service to engage in modern life and federal dollars should help make it more affordable.

This blog recommends that Congress or the FCC create a fixed broadband program for low-income people that delivers connectivity at affordable prices. Federal intervention can ensure people can connect even in areas with little-to-no provider competition.

A paper that reflects on the progress made under the National Broadband Plan, with a specific focus on the digital divide. The guiding principles for broadband adoption still resonate as successful efforts addressed multiple barriers to adoption and the plan for changes in technology helped ensure community programs served clients with up-to-date technology.

This resource discusses data about the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, created by Congress in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Areas with low wireline broadband adoption have above-average rates of households signing up for the EBB. On the other hand, large metropolitan areas have high volumes of sign-ups but lower rates of actual enrollment.

This resource briefly evaluates data-driven state plans used by policymakers and stakeholders who had previously made assumptions about broadband access, which often led to ineffective solutions. The author indicates that data can show a more nuanced picture of the issues affecting broadband adoption rates in different states.

This resource argues for universally available, affordable broadband for everyone in Illinois. A study conducted by the Illinois Broadband Advisory Council reveals that race, ethnicity, and age are important factors in internet access and adoption. The blog uses the multiple findings from the study to initiate a conversation about broadband access, adoption, and affordability.

A blog that examines ideas policymakers should consider as the Covid-19 pandemic has made the digital divide a large issue to tackle. Policymakers should consider analyses of broadband adoption barriers, such as cost and competitive rates.

This resource explains two policy tools that may help address the digital divide. Promoting competition leads to investing in new infrastructure and lower prices for consumers. Providing a subsidy tackles affordability more directly by offering cost relief, which may be a more attractive approach.

This resource discusses results of Census Pulse surveys that show device availability has increased during the pandemic, whereas internet access at home has not grown. The availability patterns play out along familiar lines of household income. It can be interpreted that it has been easier to deliver computers to students than it has been to provide internet access.

This resource discusses the need to address larger frictions in the middle-skill job market, which comprises one-third of the U.S. job market and requires digital skills that workers often lack. The author makes the case for incorporating broadband into new job training initiatives to potentially address the digital skills gap.

A paper arguing that traditional job-training systems currently do not bridge digital skills gaps that middle-skill job seekers face. As the need for middle-skill jobs has doubled, efforts need to be made to integrate broadband into training for those positions, as both a delivery mechanism and a wraparound service.

A paper that examines public-private partnerships (P3) as a promising alternative to the traditional municipal broadband or middle mile models for communities that lack the capital, the expertise, or both to deploy and operate fiber networks or act as internet service providers on their own. The paper also discusses major legal issues that may arise in broadband P3 projects.

This guide is intended to help communities plan or implement technology change. It provides a collection of experiences, case studies, and best practices that will be valuable in development sustainable, inclusive projects.

This report from the Benton Institute presents findings from a survey designed to elucidate the roles coalitions have played in supporting digital equity ecosystems in their communities during the magnified challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings may help local communities, organizations, and policymakers understand and address the digital equity challenges related to distance learning, telehealth, economic inequality, social isolation, and racial injustice.

This blog argues that offering low-cost devices can be just as important as broadband service. Connected devices are critical components of digital inclusion efforts and the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program may be a lost opportunity if the program does not also help households get affordable devices.

An article that presents findings about broadband un-adopters— those who have their household internet connection discontinued—which represents 12 percent of those without broadband service. As these households represent an important part of broadband adoption, future policy efforts can benefit from understanding their reasons for terminating their connection.

A paper from August 2021 detailing community-led broadband case studies of six communities that have succeeded in providing robust services that were not previously available or providing competition for incumbent companies.

A policy brief arguing for increased competition and broadband deployment to address issues faced by residential and small business customers. The resource focuses on the construction of open-access, middle-mile networks as a solution.

A paper from October 2020 that reinforces the themes of the previous year’s Broadband for America’s Future: A Vision for the 2020s about the need for ubiquitous broadband across the United States. The author takes into account how the Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated the digital divide on geographic, racial, and class lines.

This paper from the Benton Institute hopes to contribute to a national broadband agenda for the next decade. The resource argues that connecting the country through high-performance broadband will bring remarkable economic, social, cultural, and personal benefits and that affordable, robust broadband is key to everyone achieving the American dream. The resource examines the diverse strategies state and local leadership can use to improve broadband deployment and usage: competition, deployment, affordability and adoption, and connectivity to community anchor institutions.