The FCCs broadband survey is missing 20 million people, a new study suggests

A new report estimates there are 42.8 million people in the US without broadband access, nearly twice the official estimate reached by the Federal Communication Commission. The report was conducted by BroadbandNow, a company that helps consumers check their area for broadband availability. In its 2019 report, the FCC estimated only 21.3 million Americans lacked broadband access.

BroadbandNow chose nine ISPs — which it does not name in the report— that had “tools [that] allow users to enter an address and receive a response as to whether wired and/or fixed wireless service is available.” The ISPs’ own tools showed service was not available for some 13 percent of the more than 11,000 addresses BroadbandNow used in its sample.

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