Broadband and High-speed Internet Access in the Fourth District

Broadband Internet service is now considered by many to be a new form of infrastructure, and Federal regulators confirmed the importance of broadband access to rural communities in their recently updated guidance for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). This report documents the availability of high-speed Internet access in the Fourth Federal Reserve District, which comprises all of Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia, using a series of maps and charts. While our analysis clearly shows there is limited broadband access in rural parts of the Fourth District, it shows that urban low- and moderate-income (LMI) areas also have limited access. As such, a case could be made to include investments in communications infrastructure in urban areas as CRA eligible based upon essential community needs.