Using broadband infrastructure as a social sensor to detect inequities in unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mainline results for broadband: asymmetries in broadband access increase unemployment

Before discussing the results, we must first define empirically our key variable, namely what we mean by broadband access. We start with the definition used by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which states that broadband is “high-speed internet access that is always on and faster than the traditional dial-up access”. They define adequate broadband access for an individual as at least 25 Mbps upload speed and 3 Mbps download speed⁴⁴. Broadband access can be measured in terms of several…