Social Science Resource Council report: Barriers to broadband adoption for low-income communities

Increased transparency, quality of service, and availability would make low-income residents more likely to adopt broadband Internet service, says a report recently commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission.

The report, conducted by the Social Science Resource Council, was designed to understand better the barriers to adoption that low-income Americans face in using high-speed Internet connections.

The report found that the U.S. lags behind many developed countries in broadband adoption - only 65 percent of Americans have high-speed Internet connections. For households with annual incomes less than $25,000 per year, only 35 percent of Americans have broadband subscriptions.

While subscription cost is the most obvious barrier to adoption, the study found that it is only one of several major factors. Hardware costs, hidden fees, billing transparency, and quality of service also affect adoption rates among those in low-income communities.

The study also concluded that un-adoption - the loss of home broadband service - is an under-recognized problem facing low-income communities. Frequent fluctuations in price, and difficult-to-understand billing practices, put broadband out of reach for many. Simple, consumer-friendly changes would discourage many from disconnecting their broadband Internet.

Currently, libraries and other community organizations play a large role in filling the gap between low-income adoption and high community demand of Internet services. Ensuring that these services remain well funded is crucial to enabling many low-income Americans access to broadband Internet.

The FCC will release the National Broadband Plan on March 17, 2010. It is expected to outline clear goals the federal government will take to ensure that low-income Americans realize the promise of high-speed connections.

Broadband adoption in low-income communities (SSRC)

Study: Adoption in low-income communities (SSRC)