Overview

Imperfect or absent data are rarely mentioned in policy discussions. Yet the communications policy debate in the United States today is inseparable from debates about the data used to make claims about policy propositions. Policymakers are beginning to see the need for better data, and this report contains recommendations on the principles that should guide efforts to improve data collection on the deployment and use of communications infrastructure. The report is based on a workshop convened last year by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.