March 14, 2024 – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has approved its latest annual Broadband Deployment Report which shows the status of fixed and mobile broadband service in the U.S. The report was approved on a 3-2 vote (FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel, Commissioners Starks and Gomez approving, and Commissioners Carr and Simington dissenting).

The report “raises the Commission’s benchmark for high-speed fixed broadband to download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second – a four-fold increase from the 25/3 Mbps benchmark set by the Commission in 2015.” Ultimately, the FCC concludes in the report that “advanced telecommunications capability is not being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion based on the total number of Americans, Americans in rural areas, and people living on Tribal lands who lack access to such capability, and the fact that these gaps in deployment are not closing rapidly enough.”

Section 706(b) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, directs the FCC to annually inquire whether advanced telecommunications capability (broadband) is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. Advanced telecommunications capability is described as high-speed, switched, broadband telecommunications capability that enables users to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video telecommunications using any technology. If the FCC determines that broadband is not being deployed in a timely manner, Section 706(b) requires the FCC to take immediate action to accelerate broadband deployment by removing barriers to infrastructure investment and promoting competition.

One other key item in the report is a new 1 Gbps/500 Mbps long-term goal for broadband speeds to give “a better, faster, more robust system of communication for American consumers. According to the FCC’s News Release announcing the approval, the report shows that, as of December 2022:

• Fixed terrestrial broadband service (excluding satellite) has not been physically deployed to approximately 24 million Americans, including almost 28% of Americans in rural areas, and more than 23% of people living on Tribal lands;

• Mobile 5G-NR coverage has not been physically deployed at minimum speeds of 35/3 Mbps to roughly 9% of all Americans, to almost 36% of Americans in rural areas, and to more than 20% of people living on Tribal lands;

• 45 million Americans lack access to both 100/20 Mbps fixed service and 35/3 Mbps mobile 5G-NR service; and

• Based on the new 1 Gbps per 1,000 students and staff short-term benchmark for schools and classrooms, 74% of school districts meet this goal.