UC Santa Barbara

The Internet has become crucial for communication, education, commerce, and civicengagement, but not everyone has equal opportunities to benefit from it, leading to digital inequity. This inequity stems from various aspects of Internet access, such as availability, quality, and affordability. Policymakers and stakeholders must understand the presence and extent of digital inequity to develop strategies that can bridge the gaps and ensure equal Internet access for all.

Acquiring relevant data that sheds light on all aspects of digital inequity is imperativefor building a complete understanding of the issue. Unfortunately, such data is currently either non-existent or too noisy to be of any use. Policymakers in the US have long relied on imprecise data obtained either from the Federal Communication Commission or through crowdsourced network measurements to estimate the availability and quality of Internet services in different regions, and allocate funding accordingly to improve Internet access. However, due to the limitations of these datasets, funding initiatives that rely on them may not achieve their intended objectives. Additionally, there are no publicly available sources of data that can provide accurate information on the cost of Internet access across the nation. As a result, it is extremely challenging to understand Internet affordability and how that contributes to digital inequity.

This dissertation aims to address these challenges in several ways. Firstly, we charac-terize existing Internet access datasets to gain insights into current digital inequity trends. Additionally, we develop methodology and tools that can provide comprehensive data on various dimensions of digital inequity. Leveraging our solutions, we enhance the usability of crowdsourced network measurements to better understand Internet quality. Moreover, we curate multiple novel datasets that provide insights into Internet availability and af- fordability nationwide. This work is crucial in helping policymakers and organizations make informed decisions to address digital inequity and create a more equitable digital society.