Being the ones on the front lines of increasing broadband adoption, I asked NDIA Affiliates to help create a practical definition of “broadband adoption”. The affiliates did so via the NDIA listserve. This definition is useful for creating and improving programs. 

For those working to increase the digital capacity of our communities, we define broadband adoption as daily access to the Internet:

  • at speeds, quality and capacity necessary to accomplish common tasks,
  • with the digital skills necessary to fully participate online, and
  • on a personal device and secure convenient network.

Note that the access could be occurring at home or elsewhere but that the definition includes “daily” so if the access occurs not-at-home then it must be highly convenient.