Broadband project methodology
July 7, 2011
Project director John Dunbar and researcher Mia Steinle spent four months investigating broadband adoption rates in the Washington, D.C., area. Here's how they did it.
Previous Stories
Culture, income, location affect broadband adoption in Washington region
July 7, 2011
People who live in the Washington, D.C., region are pretty well connected when it comes to high-speed Internet service — but there are still large swaths of the population that are unwilling or too financially strapped to plug in.
- MULTIMEDIA: Broadband penetration map
- MULTIMEDIA: Video: Dunbar talks about reporting on telecomm
- MULTIMEDIA: More money, more broadband
Industry-friendly subcommittee delivers for telecom firms
April 6, 2011
A House panel that voted to "disapprove" the Federal Communications Commission's network neutrality rules has collected contributions from broadband and wireless providers — more than a million dollars over the last two years.
Wealthy suburbs get best broadband deals; D.C., rural areas lag behind
Feb. 18, 2011
People who live in low-income areas of the District of Columbia on average get less for their broadband dollar than those who live in the wealthy suburbs — and subscribers in rural areas get the worst deals of all, according to a new study in which we analyzed customer speed tests and surveys.
TV, Internet and The Merger: What's best for consumers?
Jan. 4, 2011
If Comcast and NBC Universal combine — and the FCC has recommended conditional approval — the new company will be able to play a major role in shaping the future of Internet TV competition.
- MULTIMEDIA: John Dunbar on the Comcast-NBC Merger
- MULTIMEDIA: Comcast built clout before merger
Digital technology could save radio – is anyone listening?
July 14, 2010
Only 14 percent of U.S. radio stations have gone digital, despite the fact it has been nearly eight years since the government approved the technology, according to an Investigative Reporting Workshop analysis. (Find digital radio stations by area here).
What’s more, the number of stations making the switch is actually decreasing, according to one report.
Digital radio draws only about 650,000 of 239 million weekly radio listeners – about three-tenths of 1 percent – according to a report by Bridge Ratings released in December.
Unlike with television, Congress did not mandate a switch to all-digital signals and many cash-strapped radio stations are reluctant to pay the expensive equipment and licensing fees required to go digital – despite the fact the technology represents a new revenue source for the industry.
- MULTIMEDIA: Timeline: For radio, the song remains the same
Comcast lures former FCC aides to lobby for NBC merger
May 26, 2010
Comcast has 54 ex-government employees who are now lobbyists working to get the company's merger with NBC-Universal approved. It also employs former legal advisers who worked for two FCC commissioners who were the government's most vocal opponents of media mergers.
Industry lobbying keeps public in the dark about broadband
March 12, 2010
For more than a decade, the broadband and wireless industry has fought off attempts to let the government collect such details as price and access speeds about consumers’ Internet service. Now, the Federal Communications Commission is set to release a national broadband plan and regulators will try again to force more information about the "digital divide" into the open in an effort to help consumers.
Ready, fire, aim: Public broadband grants wait for no plan
Oct. 2, 2009
In the real world, planning usually dictates spending. But in Washington, that’s not always the case. The government's expected to spend $7.2 billion on grants to increase broadband access despite the fact that a national map showing where the help is needed most won't be done till next year.
Archived Stories
Digital Transition a Mess, but in Entirely Unexpected Way
January 27, 2009
As FCC Chair Martin Resigns, He Leaves Controversial Legacy
January 15, 2009
