Broadband connects communities to an increasingly digital world. It has transformed industries, changed the way we access goods and services, and become an indispensable part of modern life.

Yet despite more than two decades of public and private efforts to expand broadband access, gaps persist. Nearly 21 million Americans, mostly in rural areas, still lack a reliable high-speed connection.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution for improving coverage, any effort would benefit from more research and data-driven policy discussions.

The broadband research initiative will focus on:

• Promising practices: Identifying how states have addressed gaps in connectivity.
• Research: Conducting research on issues related to broadband access and expansion, including the economic impacts of broadband and the collection, verification, and visualization of connectivity data.
• Convenings: Bringing together government, research, and industry leaders and other stakeholders for data-driven discussions about improving broadband access.