Why Internet Access Is So Expensive in the U.S.

OTI policy analyst Claire Park and the 2020 Cost of Connectivity report she co-authored are featured in a CNBC video segment and article, both of which explored why internet access is so expensive in the United States, as well as how these prices exacerbate the Digital Divide.

“People in the U.S. pay more for slower internet than people abroad,” Open Technology Institute policy analyst Claire Park said. “For many consumers, the cost of getting online right now is simply too high and also too complicated.”

The Open Technology Institute has been studying the price and speed of internet services advertised within the United States as well as abroad. Its 2020 Cost of Connectivity Report found that the average advertised monthly cost of internet in the U.S. is $68.38, which is higher than the average price of internet access for all of North America, Europe and Asia.