A hard look at quality and policy from the lens of the rural internet consumer

Abstract

Utilizing a unique dataset of 296 mostly rural households in Nebraska, this study examines rural broadband satisfaction and the distribution of broadband types through two questions: Does reported household satisfaction with broadband connectivity differ with the access method? And how does the built environment influence the distribution of broadband technologies? Integrating detailed survey data on household satisfaction with high-resolution performance data, the novel dataset identifies significant variances in user satisfaction with five aspects of broadband quality, with fiber emerging as the highest rated across metrics. Additionally, k-means clustering analysis of the built environment—based on structure proximity and population density—reveals a series of nuanced relationships, including the effects of past and present regulatory action, that affect the current availability of broadband technologies in various rural locales. Employing these findings, we advocate for potential policy adjustments sensitive to rural built environment and user experience complexities, challenging the adequacy of current technology-agnostic approaches.