NCTA: Inflation Far Outpacing Retail Price of Broadband
Broadband has become more affordable, even as other costs have risen
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2024 – The cost of living keeps rising the the U.S. but the cost of broadband is not to blame. That's the message recently delivered by NCTA – The Internet & Television Association – a trade group for major cable Internet Service Providers like Comcast and Charter.
In comments filed Tuesday with the Federal Communications Commission, NCTA noted that the price of broadband had risen far less sharply than the overall rate of inflation.
The association cited the 2024 Section 706 report which stated that prices for internet services declined by about 19 percent in inflation-adjusted terms between 2009 and 2023.
While the FCC did not consider affordability in its evaluation of broadband availability, the agency has said that too many households struggle with paying for internet access on top of their other financial commitments.
NCTA noted that, in spite of the demise of the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, cable operators have continued to provide low-cost solutions to broadband consumers. The association specifically noted long-standing affordability programs, such as Spectrum Internet Assist, for low-income households.
Consumers also have access to more broadband options than ever before, NCTA said. The group cited the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection in 2023 that showed more than 66 percent of Americans have access to two or more ISPs, reflecting a 10 percent increase from the previous year.
The BDC data also noted that, as of December 2023, broadband service now reaches more than 153 million serviceable units at 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream.
