Project purpose
The Internet is a public good.
Many communities are taking steps to develop community broadband programs. Some pilot projects and programs involve the city building. or buying their own broadband infrastructure akin to a sewer system, or other utilities. Other communities are incentivizing new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to come into their geographic areas to increase competition and drive down prices. Almost all communities participate in State and Federal level legislative and regulatory processes with the goal of unlocking new sources of funding for broadband affordability. ISPs currently hold most of the decision-making power, physical infrastructure, and user data -- so a combination of regulation, public-private partnership, and legislative advocacy are critical in ensuring Portlanders get and stay connected.
The Portland Broadband Equity Study was started because the City wanted to map its connectivity gaps and currently available data with personal stories of residents coping with the digital divide.
The following are the project goals:
- To identify priority populations that would be most adversely impacted by a lack of high-speed internet access.
- To identify geographical areas subject to slower internet connection speeds.
- To identify themes from community insights that will inform City digital equity policies and actions to expand substantive broadband access, particularly for priority populations.
- Broadening funding sources for the City to strengthen its Digital Equity Program.
Project background
As our communities have become increasingly connected over the past two decades, access to the internet has become essential for every household. A fast and reliable internet connection provides access to necessities such as healthcare, education, job training, and housing. In fact, lack of connectivity is correlated with adverse impacts to both healthcare and education. Lack of digital skills and outdated or non-existent infrastructure are common barriers to connectivity; however, in Portland the most common barrier is affordability. These barriers have resulted in inequitable access to the internet across the city.
The Coronavirus pandemic exacerbated this inequity and acted as a catalyst for legislative action at the Federal level. The past three years have seen an unprecedented investment of Federal funds in broadband deployment and affordability. However, Portland is unlikely to receive much of the funding despite being where a large number of unconnected Oregonians live. This is because the vast majority of funding is slated for infrastructure deployment and almost all of Portland is designated as “served” by the FCC Broadband Maps. This project aims to better define the nature of the digital divide in Portland and provide the City with the information needed to advocate for better federal and state policies with respect to broadband.