"Requirements for broadband nutrition labels "represented a meaningful step forward by affording individuals the transparency they need to make informed decisions about their internet service," according to the study, but "it does not enable broader pricing comparisons across households or neighborhoods.""
"The study compared prices per Mbps of download speed in different neighborhoods for a provider that offers fiber, DSL, and fixed wireless service. Poorer neighborhoods, which are more likely to be limited to DSL connectivity, were charged the highest rates per Mbps."
"The original requirements did not require broadband providers to maintain a database of these labels. Instead, they show up only after a customer has provided an exact address."
Connected Nation conducted a study examining broadband pricing across Louisville, Kentucky neighborhoods using data from 6,300 randomly sampled addresses. The research found that lower-income areas, typically limited to DSL connectivity, faced higher per-Mbps rates compared to affluent neighborhoods with fiber access. While monthly bills were lower in poorer areas, the cost per unit of speed was significantly higher. The study highlighted limitations of current FCC broadband nutrition label requirements, which provide transparency but lack centralized pricing databases for cross-neighborhood comparisons. The authors advocate for a central repository of broadband pricing information to enable broader market analysis and informed consumer decisions.
#broadband-pricing-disparities #digital-equity #fcc-broadband-labels #neighborhood-pricing-analysis #internet-access-inequality
Read at Telecompetitor
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]