For whom the bell alternatives toll: demographics of residential facilities-based telecommunications competition in the United States ?
This research uses web client automation to identify a large sample of residential facilities-based customers of competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). The research examines demographics of the Census block groups where the identified customers live, and compares the profiles to the corresponding counties and states. As expected, the results suggest a community's proximity to business matters, and persons in Census block groups with residential facilities-based competition tend to have higher average income and educational achievement levels. Importantly, low-income households appear not to be left behind, which may speak to the efficacy of income-based support programs such as Lifeline and Link-Up.
demographics telecommunications competition web client automation