Conclusion

To better understand the effects of broadband use, there must first be a commitment from policymakers to support evaluation. This volume has made an argument about why policymakers should undertake this investment and has outlined needs and strategies for advancing this knowledge. It has also examined the profession of broadband evaluation itself. The complexity of broadband use demands an evaluation approach that values generalizability and applies multiple research methods. But it also requires a further development of common concepts, improved collection of and access to data, and comparison across policy areas, programs, scales, and time. To do all of this, we need not only more and better evaluation methods but also a research community around broadband evaluation that shares knowledge and effectively communicates evidence for policy. The future impact of broadband technology on effective and equitable use depends on concerted attention by both the research community and policymakers.