NTIA Broadband Data Transparency Workshop: 
Highlights/ October 30, 2009

NTIA/Administration Goals

• Susan Crawford, Special Assistant to the President for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy/NEC, talked about the importance of data-driven policymaking and expressed a strong need for academic input.  She identified several projects that could contribute to such policymaking:
• the interaction between investment and regulation;
• the ultimate broadband goal, the means of achieving that goal, and the risks of not achieving the goal;
• reliable broadband adoption data that allows cross-community comparisons;
• The cultural benefits of broadband or quality of life improvements.
• Andrew McLaughlin, Deputy Chief Technology Officer/OSTP, identified the need for prioritizing access to existing government data that is not presently available, making use of the new Data.gov website.  He also urged improving our understanding of the economic inputs in broadband and said that non-governmental organizations are better positioned to test actual broadband speeds, another important data set.
• NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling expressed NTIA’s need for guidance on information to collect from its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and Broadband Mapping Program; and through the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) supplement.  Presentations were given by NTIA staff on each of these potential sources: Jennifer Duane (BTOP); Anne Neville (Broadband Mapping); James McConnaughey (OPAD).  Commerce Office of General Counsel’s Jeffrey Roberson discussed legal requirements and FOIA exemptions relating to NTIA’s broadband data.
• Daniel Weitzner, OPAD Associate Administrator, moderated the subsequent “roundtable” of eminent researchers and government officials.  The following topics were discussed:

Data Types and Frequency

• A need exists for data on the consequences of broadband adoption on wages and productivity at a granular level of the economy and at the census block level.  This would include, for example, the allocation of time between work and home Internet use, the types of devices used, and differences in use within households with more than one resident. Over-sampling could be used in areas such as small towns to obtain reliable data.  (Shane Greenstein, Northwestern University)
• Collection of data may need to be more creative, less traditional, and that can provide some insights quickly.  Also better data is needed on improvements in quality of life, which is difficult, and on broadband adoption by African-Americans. Longitudinal studies, where the same subjects are observed over time, represent a good analytical tool.  (Nicole Turner-Lee, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies)
• More data is needed on broadband use by people with disabilities.  This demographic category is frequently overlooked.  (Richard Home, Dept. of Labor)

Sources of Data Availability

• There is also a need to gather data on broadband pricing.  Existing data sets are not satisfactory.  If subsidies are being considered, the impact related to pricing is essential.  The CPS used to be a good data source; it can become useful again and it should be coordinated with data from BTOP and the Broadband Mapping program.  (Ken Flamm, University of Texas)
• Other sources of data include:  Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index, a hedonic pricing indicator based on revealed preference of its constituent elements, which should be updated; BLS Producer Price Index, also needs updating; the Pew Internet & American Life Project data, which has a relatively small sample size; OECD price data; FCC Form 477 data; and service provider data.  There is technology to do “real time” monitoring of network traffic; a public “sniffing post” should be considered.  (K. Flamm)

Economic, Social, Policy, Other Areas

• One can have a Constitutional view of broadband.  Because technology is being integrated into delivery of civil services, many low income people are not able to participate.  This is causing “digital destitution.”   This will fuel a cruel and criminal economy.  There is a need to better understand the return on investment for use of broadband by low income people.  NTIA can serve society and science by designing a culturally sensitive survey on broadband adoption and benefits.  (Blanca Gordo, University of California)
• There is an imperative to get people engaged in the information economy and ecosystem.  It has implications for our democracy because without broadband, a person will not have a voice.  (N. Turner-Lee)
• There is a need for qualitative information on broadband.  Broadband mapping data should be matched with grants for sustainable broadband adoption.  We need to get at how people are using broadband, whether for health care or to fund jobs, etc.  Government needs to work inter-agency-wide to address broadband data needs.  (N. Turner-Lee)

Emerging Trends

• Improvements can be made in CPS supplement data, specifically by moving past simple access and infrastructure data.  NTIA should look back at the CPS supplements from 2001 and 2003 as models.  Questions should be included on uses of broadband.  There is a methodological challenge in that the survey may not reflect skills and uses of all users in a household, as one reference person is asked to describe activities of all household members.  There is also a need for longitudinal data.  (Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern University)

Data Formats

• Data collected through mapping should be easily imported; one cannot do a regression analysis from a map without a link to data.  NTIA needs to consider what the highest priority questions should be because of obvious limitations.  (George Ford, Phoenix Center)

Other

• BTOP data will only be useful in assessing BTOP, not broadband itself.  (E. Hargittai, G. Ford)  Monitoring can be designed and data required that can permit meaningful evaluation of the BTOP program. (Heather Hudson, Carleton University) Questions could address revenue per user, and download speeds.  (K. Flamm) An impact study could also be feasible. But job creation data included in BTOP applications is not likely to be useful to researchers because there is no scientific model of what would have happened absent the BTOP projects. (K. Flamm) The cost of broadband should be carefully studied, including aspects of waste and over-building. (Dave Burstein)  Release of adequate BTOP data – a “data engine” -- would permit useful analysis of the public computing center projects.  (Kate Williams, U of Illinois) On sustainable broadband adoption, qualitative questions should be asked about challenges, opportunities, and stories. (N. Turner-Lee, B. Gordo)   Data confidentiality issues might be mitigated by researchers agreeing to non-disclosure agreements and viewing data in settings such as Research Data Centers (RDCs), where “results” but not sensitive data could be taken away.  (S. Greenstein)