Lack of Data Makes Evaluating NY Affordability Law Difficult: Benton

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2026 – New York’s Affordable Broadband Act took effect in January 2025. A year later, it’s difficult for researchers to say whether the law is getting more low-income households online or keeping them connected.

That’s because many ISP compliance reports keep subscriber counts and other information confidential, according to Caroline Stratton , research director for the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Benton submitted a public records request for the redacted data, but in total was only able to obtain the information for nine of the 16 participating companies.

“The situation places advocates in a frustrating position, as they cannot and will not know where outreach and enrollment assistance are most needed or would have the greatest impact on low-income New Yorkers,” Stratton wrote in a Wednesday report. “States pursuing similar policies also cannot draw any evidence-based conclusions about the relative merits of mandating that ISPs provide affordable broadband plans.”

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