While reliable broadband connectivity has brought economic, health and educational benefits to many, disparities in nationwide broadband access, adoption, and usage remain. In April 2017, NITRD formed the Broadband Research and Development Group (BRD) to address related federal agency broadband research challenges and facilitate collaborative research and development. This effort was called for in the 2017 National Broadband Research Agenda (NBRA) which was developed in response to concern about the pace of research on broadband deployment, competition, and adoption.

As part of this effort, the BRD group has produced the NITRD Broadband Resource Guide (Guide), an online listing of federal broadband R&D resources and interagency collaboration opportunities. The Guide contains links to current federal programs and other activities that support research and development (R&D) and/or data collection on broadband network communication. Referencing the NBRA, the Guide focuses on agency activities that address any aspect of broadband R&D, including technology, deployment and infrastructure, adoption and digital inclusion, as well as the socioeconomic impacts of broadband. The Guide is a living document that contains information approved by federal agencies for public release and is not intended to be considered an exhaustive measure of activities in this area. Inputs are maintained by the participating agencies and federal sources. The Guide also links to NITRD’s Wireless Spectrum R&D Project Inventory as improved spectrum utilization contributes to more broadly available and cost effective broadband access.