Research

The national average internet download speed is 99.3 Mbps. The East Coast, Texas, and California have the fastest speeds in the US, which are often more than double the speeds in some rural areas. Rhode Island now ranks as number one for fastest internet speeds in the US, beating out Maryland. Although the Federal Communications Commission still sets 25 Mbps as the minimum broadband speed, even the slowest average internet speeds in each state are at least double that. Rural states like Montana, West Virginia, and Wyoming have the slowest internet speeds, averaging only about 55 Mbps.

As the pandemic continues to underscore the importance of reliable, at-home internet service, debate rages over whether local governments should be permitted to build out and run their own broadband networks, either on their own or with the help of a private partner. The White House, in its infrastructure proposal released earlier this month, has thrown its support behind allowing municipalities to explore such options.

This paper analyses the deployment of high-speed broadband networks in the European Union (EU). Its aim is to assess the investment required to meet the targets set by the European Commission (EC) for 2025, within the framework of the European Gigabit Society (EGS). This plan aims to ensure the availability and take-up of very high-capacity fixed and wireless networks, in both urban and rural areas, among households and the main socio-economic drivers.

Access to low-priced broadband internet has increased significantly over the last year.  For the first time, more than 3 of 4 of Americans (77%) have access to low-priced wired broadband plans compared to 50% in 2020 Q1.  A low-priced broadband plan costs $60 per month or less (excluding promotional pricing), and has minimum speeds of 25 Mbps download / 3 Mbps upload. Low-priced plans are not as common at higher speeds.

The report highlights the following findings about internet traffic since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic:

The California Broadband Council developed this “Broadband for All” plan understanding that digital equity warrants broadband access, adoption, and training. This Plan focuses on achieving three long-term goals:

1. All Californians have high-performance broadband available at home, schools, libraries, and businesses.
2. All Californians have access to affordable broadband and necessary devices.
3. All Californians can access training and support to enable digital inclusion.

Municipal broadband has been obstructed in many states over the years. There are currently 18 states in total that have restrictive legislation against municipal broadband networks in the US. 

7% of US adults say they do not use the internet. Internet non-adoption is linked to a number of demographic variables, but is strongly connected to age – with older Americans continuing to be one of the least likely groups to use the internet. Today, 25% of adults ages 65 and older report never going online, compared with much smaller shares of adults under the age of 65. Educational attainment and household income are also indicators of a person’s likelihood to be offline.

The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program's Public Computer Center (BTOP PCC) grants were awarded to public libraries to increase broadband access for the public. Libraries funded by the BTOP PCC grants improved computers and broadband facilities and offered training programs to help library patrons acquire computer and Internet skills.

While the broadband industry has weathered the challenge of increased use during the pandemic, a continuing trend – increasing upstream usage – will continue to put pressure on network infrastructures for some time to come. Spurred by homebound workers, students and families, upstream consumption rose by 63% in 2020, 350% of historic rates of growth.