Millions of Americans still rely on a connection that won’t exist much longer. What will happen to them?
Digital subscriber line (DSL) technology has been a cornerstone of internet access for millions of Americans for decades. However, DSL is becoming increasingly obsolete as technology advances, leaving those who still rely on it in a precarious situation. The question we must ask is: What will happen to the millions of Americans who still depend … Continued
Editor’s Note: this report has been updated to reflect the passing of Washington state’s bill. Over the past year, the broadband sector has come into the forefront of public discourse, with millions of Americans struggling to stay online amidst the pandemic. In many communities, local governments have turned to creating their own solutions where private … Continued
Data shows more choice lowers prices by 10% – 40% and spurs more competition in underserved areas The internet industry has a competition challenge in many parts of America. A long history of private infrastructure ownership has enabled the breakdown of a healthy competitive marketplace in many regions, and in its stead, a series of … Continued
Students around the U.S. are returning to school, though for many of them, this year will be different than any other on record. Millions of learners are getting accustomed to a fully online schooling environment as the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold. With thousands or hundreds of thousands of students going online simultaneously in a given … Continued
This is our seventh weekly report examining internet performance across the top 200 most populous cities in the U.S., alongside data from hundreds of rural communities. In conjunction with this release, we have also published a comprehensive look at networks across the globe and how they have held up over the past two months as … Continued
Hundreds of countries have now reported cases of the novel coronavirus as it sweeps its way through nearly every corner of the planet, impacting the daily lives of millions. Throughout this period, staying connected while staying home has become a crucial aspect of quarantined life. We have been tracking both download and upload speeds in … Continued
This is our sixth report on internet network integrity around the U.S. We have been tracking the top 200 cities in the nation by population in an effort to better understand how networks are performing amid the coronavirus pandemic. In last week’s report, we found that the speed gains recorded over the two weeks prior … Continued
As America settles into a new normal, millions of workers and young learners are now relying on their home internet connections to stay productive. These networks continue to face disruptions in cities and towns in all corners of the nation, though the majority of the degradations remain minor. This is our fifth report tracking internet … Continued
Today, Microsoft launched the Open Data Campaign to help address the longstanding digital divide in the United States. The company has provided an open data set on broadband usage gathered from its Airband Initiative for researchers, policymakers and concerned citizens to better understand access at the local level. In tandem with this initiative, BroadbandNow has contributed an open data set on … Continued
Networks are continuing to recover this week, but users are still facing disruptions in hundreds of U.S. cities Over the past month, home internet connections around the country have been put to the test as tens of millions of Americans have been forced to stay home. Our team has tracked internet performance in urban and … Continued