FCC Broadband Report Shows Rapid Expansion of High-Speed Internet

FCC Broadband Report Shows Rapid Expansion of High-Speed Internet

Trump Administration's Policies Have Driven Intense Competition Benefitting Consumers

The Federal Communications Commission voted to adopt the agency's annual Section 706 Report. Section 706 requires that the Commission report on "whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion." This year's Report is the first spanning the current Trump Administration and returns the agency's analysis to the plain language of the statute after an unprecedented departure late in the prior Administration. The Report shows that intensifying competition is driving providers towards ubiquitous service. These conclusions are backed up by other data showing that Americans are now benefiting from faster, more affordable and more robust broadband services.

Chairman Carr issued the following statement:

"President Trump's policies are delivering great results for Americans in communities all across the country. The data show that speeds are up, prices are down, competition is stronger than before, and the digital divide has narrowed substantially. The FCC is putting policies in place that will further accelerate high-speed builds and extend U.S. leadership. I look forward to the work ahead."

Key Findings from 706 Report

The Section 706 Report finds that advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. This Report is the latest data point showing success in the broadband marketplace. Key findings in the Report include:

* Driving Towards Ubiquitous Broadband Availability - High-speed residential broadband is now more ubiquitous than ever before. From June 2024 to June 2025, the number of Americans lacking access to 100/20 Mbps fixed terrestrial broadband service decreased by approximately 23%. Over a two-year period, this reduction was approximately 43%. Today, 96.9% of Americans have access to a fixed terrestrial broadband service at 100/20 Mbps.

* The Digital Divide Is Shrinking Rapidly in Rural America - Over a two-year period, the percentage of rural Americans lacking access to 100/20 Mbps fixed terrestrial broadband service decreased by over 44%. Further, with the inclusion of satellite, 100/20 Mbps rural broadband deployment is nearly universally available in rural areas.

* Widely Accessible 5G - The number of Americans lacking access to mobile 5G with a minimum speed of 35/3 Mbps declined by over 30% over a two-year period. Today, almost 95% of American homes and businesses are covered by 5G at 35/3 Mbps speeds.

* Americans Have More Competitive Options Than Ever Before - The number of competitive options available to Americans also continues to grow. As of June 2025, 77% of Americans have access to three or more fixed services at 100/20 Mbps, and 43.4% of Americans have access to three of more fixed terrestrial services at 100/20 Mbps.

Other Data Shows Intensifying Competition, Lower Prices, and Better Speeds

Data from across various other sources show that speeds are up, prices are down, and competition is stronger than before:

* Speeds are Up - Wireless download speeds increased by 51% in 2025. Average upload and download speeds for fixed wireless are up 36.9% and 25.1% respectively between late 2024 and early 2026, according to Ookla data. In rural areas, those numbers show upload and download speeds rose 39.8% and 28.7% respectively.

* Prices are Down - Actual prices for wireless service have now fallen four times more during President Trump's first 18 months in office compared to the same time under President Biden. Prices are declining across the board, with postpaid unlimited plans down 10% over the last year. Fixed prices for the most popular services are down 6% over the last year.

* Competition is Intensifying - The percentage of homes and businesses nationwide that have three or more service options with at least 100/20 speed increased 4.85% from December 2024 to December 2025.

The FCC's Build America agenda has made great progress in its first year. Coupled with the Trump Administration's policies, we are seeing tangible results, including:

* Approved Deal Flow - Since January 2025, the FCC has approved deal-flow of $130 billion, including at least $50 billion in cable, fiber, and wireline deals that promise more investment, infrastructure deployment, and connectivity throughout the United States.

* Less Copper, More Next-Gen - As a result of the FCC's work to streamline the process for getting communities off old and slow copper lines and onto new, high-speed networks, we have seen a decline in copper-based internet subscriptions and an uptick in other high-speed subscriptions. For example, in North Carolina, while subscriptions to copper fell by about 133,000, subscribership to fixed broadband services increased by about 106,000.

* Smart Spectrum and Siting Results in More Fixed Wireless - As a result of smart spectrum and siting policies, we have seen a massive and rapid growth of fixed wireless offerings, which can match consumers' needs at lower price points. Twenty-three states now have more than 50% of locations served with fixed wireless at 100/20 Mbps.

706 Report Background

Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires the Commission to determine and report annually on "whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion." In August 2025, the Commission voted unanimously to begin this annual assessment by adopting a Notice of Inquiry. Following review of the public record generated from the NOI, the Chairman proposed the 2026 Section 706 Report released August 14th.