The Broadband Divide Worsened in 32 States in 2024, Ookla Reports
Ookla, one of the leading internet speed test sites, recently published its semiannual report on the state of internet connectivity in the US. The report, which encompasses the second half of 2024, reflects a growing broadband divide across 32 states. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, the same company that owns CNET.)
To measure the digital divide, Ookla relies on Speedtest Intelligence data, crowdsourced from Speedtest users across all 50 states. Ookla then averages the number of users receiving the minimum standard for an internet connection, which the Federal Communications Commission defines as 100Mbps downstream and 20Mbps upstream.
While 22 states saw improvements in the number of internet users receiving at least 100Mbps, most of that progress occurred in urban areas. Ookla's data reflects a particular struggle to connect rural households, as the states with the largest digital divide were the rural communities in Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Missouri and New Mexico.
'We suspect that some of this [broadband divide] was attributed to the ACP ending,' Sue Marek, editorial director at Ookla and author of the report, told CNET. 'We might see some more examples of that by the end of 2025.'
The cancellation of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which ended in May 2024 due to Congressional funds expiring, affected approximately 23 million households that received financial aid with monthly internet bills.
Locating local internet providers
The Ookla data notes a significant increase in the number of houses with a fiber-to-the-home connection, a record 88.1 million homes, and Marek attributes this growth to broadband deployment funding.
'But I think a lot of that [fiber deployment] was driven by private equity funding or CapEx being spent by these big telcos,' said Marek. 'But does that really help the digital divide?'
As the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program hasn't resulted in buildouts yet, the growth in internet connectivity in the second half of 2024 can also be attributed to the Digital Equity Capacity Grant program, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Marek notes that over $11 billion in government funding has been distributed by those programs since 2020.
Ookla's report comes on the heels of the Digital Equity Act's cancellation by President Donald Trump, as it was deemed a 'racist' and 'unconstitutional' program. The National Telecommunications and Information Association, the organization responsible for administering Digital Equity Act funding, has since removed webpages related to the program.
'This administration's deranged obsession with forcing extremist right-wing culture wars on all of us is not an acceptable or legal reason to deny states access to these funds,' Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat who introduced the bill in 2019, said in a press conference about the Digital Equity Act.
Marek says the effects of the decision to slash the Digital Equity Act will likely not be seen in Ookla reporting until the end of 2025.
The BEAD program, meanwhile, is undergoing a structural review, with industry experts worried that the program will pivot from a 'fiber first' approach to a process that favors Elon Musk's Starlink, a satellite internet option that has raised the bar for getting internet access to rural areas, albeit with an expensive price tag.
While disputes over funding distribution and the fate of the Digital Equity Act and BEAD hang in the air, the broadband divide continues to grow at the expense of the country's most marginalized communities.
To get involved, Marek recommends contacting your state's broadband office to learn how it's approaching the digital divide. 'Every state has one,' Marek said.
Additionally, the NTIA hosts a BEAD progress dashboard, so you can stay informed on the progress of BEAD-funded projects in your state. To directly express your concerns, you can also call your local representatives and government officials.
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