Broadband Internet Affordability

Broadband Internet affordability is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the price of broadband Internet service and cost of devices relative to income. This entry further defines affordability of broadband Internet service and then discusses its importance, the lack of affordable access to broadband Internet in parts of the world, and policies and practices that could bring access to more people.

As a percentage of a country’s monthly per capita income, prices can be seen in relation to the size of each country’s economy, which in turn reflects the affordability of each Internet communication technology (ICT) service both within and across countries. Measuring broadband affordability has become more complicated when considering the bundling of such services with other offerings and devices such as cable ...