ActiVote
Get the app
← All analysis
August 2, 2021

Universal Broadband

A $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is making its way through Congress. While details are still being hammered out, it currently includes a $65 billion investment aimed at getting broadband internet to all Americans. The spending is directed both to creating broadband internet in (mostly rural) areas where it currently does not exist, as well as providing financial assistance to low-income Americans to subscribe to available broadband services.

We wondered what the country thinks about universal broadband access. Is this a task for the federal government, and if so how? Or should this be left to local governments or the private sector. We asked over 10,000ActiVote users the question and gave them five answers to pick from:

  • The government should build a national internet directly to ensure that motives of private companies cannot interfere.
  • The FCC should approach this as they did for telephone in the 40s with loans and grants.
  • Local municipalities should be allowed to build their own internet service to serve their communities.
  • The government should focus on providing libraries and government buildings in these areas with services which should be made open to the public.
  • The government should not interfere with private business which will find innovative ways on its own to solve this problem.

It turns out that almost half the nation (48%) prefer an active role of the federal government either through a government built service (28%) or loans and grants through the FCC (20%). On the other hand, 25% believe we should leave this to private businesses, 10% think access through libraries and government buildings is sufficient. The remaining 16% believe that local governments should handle it.

The headline result
government should build national internet
28%
loans and grants from FCC
20%
local municipalities should handle it
16%
access through libraries and government buildings
10%
leave to private business
25%
 See the details below →

Older voters would like to see more government action than younger voters: about 55% of voters 50 and over would like to see a big role of the federal government, while only 44% of younger voters agree with that approach.

The crosstabs
18-29
24%
20%
19%
12%
25%
30-49
24%
20%
19%
9%
28%
50-64
35%
18%
14%
25%
65+
32%
24%
12%
23%
government should build national internetloans and grants from FCClocal municipalities should handle itaccess through libraries and government buildingsleave to private business
 See the details below →

There is a partisan difference, with 37% of Republicans wanting to leave it to the market to provide broadband access, while only 9% of Democrats believe in that approach. Still, 42% of Republican believe in direct involvement of the Federal government, showing that many don’t wish to just wait for the markets to handle the issue.

The crosstabs
Dem
37%
27%
17%
10%
9%
Rep
25%
17%
13%
37%
Ind
25%
23%
19%
15%
18%
government should build national internetloans and grants from FCClocal municipalities should handle itaccess through libraries and government buildingsleave to private business
 See the details below →

While there are some differences of opinion between the two parties, the differences are smaller than for many other topics. Perhaps the fact that Democrats support government investment traditionally, but often live in cities with typically better broadband access already, while Republicans rather leave things to the private sector, but more often live in areas struggling with broadband access, helps make this more of a bipartisan issue than many others.

Whatever the reasoning of each individual, Universal Broadband Access is supported by majorities of all backgrounds. Therefore, if the bipartisan infrastructure bill will somehow get derailed in the coming days or weeks, it is unlikely to be over Broadband Access.

The Details

We also asked this question once before:

The answers as asked

Charts and tables use the short label at the start of each line.

  1. government should build national internet: The government should build a national internet directly to ensure that motives of private companies cannot interfere.
  2. loans and grants from FCC: The FCC should approach this as they did for telephone in the 40s with loans and grants.
  3. local municipalities should handle it: Local municipalities should be allowed to build their own internet service to serve their communities.
  4. access through libraries and government buildings: The government should focus on providing libraries and government buildings in these areas with service which should be made open to the public.
  5. leave to private business: The government should not interfere with private business which will find innovative ways on its own to solve this problem.

The full crosstab table

ActiVote · Universal Broadband · August 2, 2021
ActiVote 10884 RV government should build national internet loans and grants from FCC local municipalities should handle it access through libraries and government buildings leave to private business
National ±0.9% MoE 28% 20% 16% 10% 25%
Gender Men 24% 21% 18% 9% 28%
Women 33% 20% 13% 12% 23%
Age 18-29 24% 20% 19% 12% 25%
30-49 24% 20% 19% 9% 28%
50-64 35% 18% 14% 9% 25%
65+ 32% 24% 8% 12% 23%
Ethnicity White 28% 20% 13% 10% 29%
Black 30% 21% 12% 11% 25%
Latino 29% 23% 13% 7% 27%
Education High school 24% 22% 14% 10% 30%
Some college 32% 19% 15% 10% 24%
Bachelor's 29% 20% 18% 11% 22%
Income <50k 30% 21% 15% 12% 23%
50k-100k 29% 21% 15% 10% 25%
>100k 27% 20% 17% 9% 27%
Affiliation Dem 37% 27% 17% 10% 9%
Rep 25% 17% 13% 9% 37%
Ind 25% 23% 19% 15% 18%
Region Dark Red 29% 17% 12% 12% 30%
Light Red 32% 19% 14% 8% 26%
Swing 27% 23% 10% 13% 26%
Light Blue 22% 22% 20% 12% 24%
Dark Blue 32% 20% 22% 7% 19%
Methodology. Fielded August 2021 among 10884 registered voters nationwide. Responses weighted by Demographics and Spectrum. Average expected error ±0.9%. See Why trust our polls? for the methodology, disclosures and accuracy record.