Lack of Data Makes Evaluating NY Affordability Law Difficult: Benton
The act went into effect a year ago, but participation rates are unclear.
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2026 – New York’s Affordable Broadband Act took effect in January 2025. A year later, it’s difficult for researchers to say whether the law is getting more low-income households online or keeping them connected.
That’s because many ISP compliance reports keep subscriber counts and other information confidential, according to Caroline Stratton, research director for the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Benton submitted a public records request for the redacted data, but in total was only able to obtain the information for nine of the 16 participating companies.
“The situation places advocates in a frustrating position, as they cannot and will not know where outreach and enrollment assistance are most needed or would have the greatest impact on low-income New Yorkers,” Stratton wrote in a Wednesday report. “States pursuing similar policies also cannot draw any evidence-based conclusions about the relative merits of mandating that ISPs provide affordable broadband plans.”
