About
The Markup is a non-profit newsroom dedicated to conducting data-driven investigations. In collaboration with The Bright Initiative and Princeton University, investigative reporters Leon Yin and Aaron Sankin embarked on a study to uncover digital inequality in internet package deals. Their research was inspired by the realization of the internet’s essential role during the pandemic, as highlighted by a Pew survey.
Challenge
Yin and Sankin aimed to expose the digital divide in high-speed internet infrastructure, particularly the practice of “tier flattening” where different demographics are offered the same price for varying service quality. To achieve this, they required vast amounts of data from various internet service provider’s websites. Using Bright Data’s platform, the reporters were able to gather and analyze 1.1 million service offers from various internet carriers, enabling them to unveil significant disparities in internet package deals within the same city.
“To put it plainly, we found these providers offered the worst deals to people who are the most in need of affordable prices for high-quality, high-speed internet”
Impact
The partnership with The Bright Initiative was instrumental in The Markup’s groundbreaking research. The researchers were able to unveil significant disparities in internet package deals across urban landscapes. Their findings revealed that economically disadvantaged areas often received inferior internet services for the same price as more affluent regions. This revelation highlights the urgent need for equitable internet access and emphasizes the transformative power of data-driven investigations.
