Broadband/Internet Availability Survey Report

To gauge the deployment rates of advanced services by its member companies, for nearly two decades NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) has conducted its Broadband/Internet Availability Survey. This latest broadband survey is a follow-up to similar surveys conducted in recent years by NTCA and seeks to build upon the results of those surveys. This year’s survey asked about technologies used to provide broadband service in ILEC service areas, broadband availability and subscription rates, anchor institutions, fixed wireless broadband services, competitive broadband services, mobile voice and broadband data service, competition/marketing, fiber deployment, the impact of COVID-19 on customer payments, internet backbone and middle mile connections, VoIP, and video service. The average service area identified by respondents is approximately 2,063 square miles. Nearly half (49.5%) report having a service area of less than 500 square miles, while just over one-quarter (25.8%) have a service area between 500-1,999 square miles, and a proportion slightly smaller (24.7%) have a service area of 2,000 square miles or larger. Respondents indicated that they use a variety of platforms within their respective service areas to provide broadband service to their customers. On average, seven in 10 (69.9%) serviceable locations are served by fiber to the home (FTTH) in 2020, while an average of 21.2% are served via copper loops. Fiber to the node (FTTN) is used to serve an average of 5.8% serviceable locations, cable modems 1.4%, unlicensed fixed wireless 1.3% and licensed fixed wireless 0.5%. On average, respondents indicated the following percentage of their customer base can receive maximum downstream speeds of:

• Greater than/equal to 1 Gig: 45.1%
• Greater than/equal to 100 Mbps but less than 1 Gig: 22.7%
• Greater than/equal to 25 Mbps but less than 100 Mbps: 12.6%
• Greater than/equal to 10 Mbps but less than 25 Mbps: 12.1%
• Greater than/equal to 4 Mbps but less than 10 Mbps: 5.3%
• Greater than/equal to 200 kbps but less than 4 Mbps: 2.3%

Respondents’ customers subscribe to the following maximum downstream speeds:

• 7.9% subscribe to speeds greater than/equal to 1 Gig.
• 20.2% subscribe to greater than/equal to 100 Mbps but less than 1 Gig.
• 35.8% subscribe to greater than/equal to 25 Mbps but less than 100 Mbps.
• 21.3% subscribe to greater than/equal to 10 Mbps but less than 25 Mbps.
• 10.5% subscribe greater than/equal to 4 Mbps but less than 10 Mbps.
• 4.3% subscribe to service greater than/equal to 200 kbps but less than 4 Mbps.