Broadband Experts Urge More Data on IIJA Programs, Adoption Efforts

Broadband experts and industry officials stressed the need for improved data and urged policymakers to establish thorough evaluation processes for programs funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, during an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation webinar Tuesday. Some disagreed which technologies should be prioritized with the recent influx of funding through the broadband, equity, access and deployment program and how to address the adoption gap for consumers.

"A lot of data analysis" needs to happen with the FCC's broadband map as states consider where to invest funding, said Sarah Oh Lam, Technology Policy Institute senior fellow. Not all data sets are perfect, Oh Lam said: "The harder question is combining all the data" from the challenge processes and determining where to fund broadband based on the data analysis. One challenge is having the right kind of data due to the recent influx of broadband funding, said Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Nicol Turner Lee: "What we're seeing in all the data is that we're repurposing data that was insufficient years ago and still remains insufficient now."

"If there are a lot of great data sets out there, we haven't managed to put our finger on them," said Jonathan Chaplin, New Street Research managing partner. There are many incomplete data sets, Chaplin said, and "an awful lot of work that's required to stitch together the truth.” It's “easy to spend the money," Oh Lam said, "but after it's out the door, not as much attention is paid" to evaluation and tracking. NCTA Chief Economist Rob Rubinovitz said it's difficult to track where the funding is going because each state is spending the money differently. "I think it unfortunately calls for a more uniform, top-down approach" so data is collected the same way, Rubinovitz said.

Panelists disagreed what type of technology should be prioritized. There's "not a one-size-fits-all approach to delivering broadband," said CTIA Senior Vice President Nick Ludlum, noting the "fastest growing home broadband solution in the country" is 5G. Chaplin said there's a "danger in technology neutrality" when considering which infrastructure should be funded.

Policymakers should focus on investing in infrastructure that's "scalable and upgradeable," he said, such as fiber. Rubinovitz disagreed: It hasn't been "proven to be that future-proof technology" because some providers continue to need to upgrade fiber they have put in the ground. "Fiber's not always going to be the solution" because some areas are harder to serve with that technology, Turner Lee said.

Addressing the digital divide requires more research from existing federal programs to understand what worked well and how to build from those lessons, Oh Lam said, adding she hopes such information will come from the FCC’s affordable connectivity and emergency broadband benefit programs. Chaplin agreed, saying information is lacking about how those programs have been used to bridge the adoption and affordability gaps.

The issues of broadband adoption and access "are not that related," Oh Lam said, noting access is "available for a lot of people who just aren't adopting," and "it's not price" because the FCC's broadband affordability programs made service free for many. Turner Lee disagreed, saying adoption and access are "interrelated,” citing the need for continued focus on digital literacy efforts.