Historic Snowstorms Prove No Match for New England Broadband; Consumer Data Gives High Marks

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New England Connectivity and Telecommunications Association

Mar 19, 2026, 09:21 ET

Reliable Service and an Uptick in Demand During the Storms Backs Up Recent State-by-State Data Showing Consumer Satisfaction with New England Broadband – Including on Affordability and Speed

BOSTON, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The historic blasts of winter weather in New England this season served as another reminder of the strength of the region's broadband networks.

Service providers did not report significant outages even as people leaned heavily on broadband for work, school and entertainment while massive snowfalls kept workers and children at home. This supports high consumer satisfaction according to recent state data released in the New England Connectivity and Telecommunications Association's (NECTA) Innovation Index. Covering Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire, the Index shows New England consumers are happy with reliability and increasingly satisfied with broadband and video affordability, even as other consumer costs have gone up.

NECTA released this snapshot of state data:

"New England broadband and video providers are delivering the services and affordability that our region needs when it matters most. NECTA members provided stable networks capable of handling multiple devices at a cost that works for families and businesses during and following record snowfall and historic cold," said Tim Wilkerson, President of NECTA. "Building trust is critical for our industry because our members connect everyone, everywhere – whether during a storm, accessing emergency information or for work, entertainment or reaching their loved ones."

Other notable findings: Cord-cutting slowed again; 83% value "one-stop-shopping" for video services especially younger consumers. AI use continues to rise with 64% reporting use of an AI chatbot, 11% more than 2024 survey and 23% more than 2023. Still, 74% believe AI poses a security threat.

Understandably, New Englanders have increasing concern about cyberattacks given the billions of attacks on broadband networks every year. NECTA's Index shows, however, that two-in-three New Englanders believe their broadband providers do a good job protecting against cyber threats.