The FCC is kicking off an inquiry into the state of broadband across the United States, as required by section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, including universal deployment, affordability, adoption, availability, and equitable access to services. As part of the inquiry, the FCC will consider the current benchmark for defining broadband.
“During the pandemic and even before it, the needs of internet users surpassed the FCC’s 25/3 standard for broadband. This standard is not only outdated, it masks the extent to which low-income neighborhoods and rural communities are being left offline and left behind,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “In order to get big things done, it is essential to set big goals. That is why we are kicking off this inquiry to update our national broadband standard and also set a long-term goal for gigabit speeds.”
The FCC is proposing that the national fixed broadband speed benchmark be raised to 100 Mbps for download and 20 Mbps for upload. The FCC previously set the benchmark at 25/3 Mbps in 2015 and has not updated it since.
The FCC also seeks comment on setting a separate national goal of 1 Gbps/500 Mbps for the future.
