Today, Access Now, Consumer Reports, and a coalition of partner organizations launched a national broadband affordability initiative called Let’s Broadband Together. The goal of the project is for people across the United States to share information about the quality and cost of their internet connection. This information will be used to fight for high-speed, affordable broadband for all.
Everyone needs internet access to fully exercise their human rights. People depend on the internet for work, school, healthcare, and more. But broadband internet in the U.S. is not always fair or accessible. There are millions of people in the U.S. who do not have the option to get online because they cannot afford it or there is no service where they live.
“Without good evidence, we can’t make good policy,” said Eric Null, U.S. Policy Manager at Access Now. “The details of broadband industry billing practices have long eluded us, in part because our federal decisionmakers have refused to study it and instead opted to create policy in the dark. The Let’s Broadband Together campaign will help solve this problem by shining a light on the actual charges people see on their broadband bills. Having that data will make it possible to, among other things, compare and contrast prices across the country, which is essential to understanding the broadband market and creating smart policy.”