Trends in Broadband Competition in Los Angeles County 2015-2016

This policy brief analyzes trends in residential broadband coverage and competition in LA county. It is based on information about Internet availability and service speeds at the census block level collected by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for 2015-2016 (the most recent available). This information is combined with data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for the same period to shed light on the relation between broadband investments and community demographics.

Our findings show that broadband competition remained weak throughout LA County. While the share of residents able to choose between two or more competitors increased in 2016, about half still lacked choice in broadband service. Further, these gains in competition mostly benefited higher-income areas, and largely bypassed Latino residents. Lastly, investments in fiber have stalled, and the availability of next-generation services remained skewed towards wealthier areas.