Leveraging Data to Understand the Digital Divide

Data on broadband availability and adoption comes from disparate sources and available broadband data mapping tools that combine source data are designed more for data scientists than for the general public. In addition, until recently, the most-utilized source of public of information about broadband availability was based on the FCC’s Form 477 through which Internet service providers reported on geographies where they could provider service. Decision-makers seeking to understand and target resources to address the greatest areas of digital divide were left with limited visibility.

To address these shortcomings, Vernonburg Group developed and launched a national Digital Equity Map. This tool helps users visualize publicly available U.S. broadband data. Simple data visualization sliders can be used to better understand levels of broadband availability and adoption at a local or national level, and across different demographic groupings. This tool helps display correlations in data to tailor programmatic interventions.

Vernonburg Group can help clients use this map in concert with their own GIS tools and analytics, to facilitate data-driven decision-making to effectively target resources with geographic precision, such as:

• Availability of different speed tiers (25/3 Mbps, 100/20 Mbps, and 100/100 Mbps)

• Availability of different technologies (fiber, cable, copper, and fixed wireless)

• Fixed broadband adoption

• Ownership of end user devices (computers, tablets, and smartphones)

• Correlation of poverty, race, or education level with availability, adoption, and device ownership

• Extracting details (technology and speed capabilities) on various network operators for any defined coverage area.