N.C. Broadband Indices

Data on where broadband is and isn’t available is notoriously under-reported and does not fully depict the reality on the ground for many people in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Broadband Indices are two unique measures designed to create a more accurate picture of the state’s broadband access, adoption and the resulting digital divide.

Because broadband access and adoption are both important but distinct from each other, two indices, which can be applied at the county- and census-tract levels, have been designed: 

• Broadband Availability and Quality Index
• Broadband Adoption Potential Index 

Learn more about the methodology used to build the indices.

About the Broadband Indices

In 2019, the Broadband Infrastructure Office commissioned Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D., a renowned broadband researcher from Purdue University, to create the North Carolina Broadband Indices.

The indices can inform the design of programs, policies and tools to align with the specific needs of each community by:

• Helping demonstrate need
• Identifying the most beneficial types of investments
• Determining where resources should be deployed

The indices can help state and local leaders, private providers and advocates:

• Understand the current state of broadband access and adoption and the digital divide in communities across the state
• Visualize the specific challenges, opportunities and key factors contributing to the digital divide in the areas they serve
• Assist in the design of specific solutions that meet the specific needs of communities

Together, 19 variables – eight in broadband availability and 11 in broadband adoption – make up the indices, which can be applied at both the county and the census-tract levels.