FCC’s broadband map is one of the best tools for research Internet service provider. Whether you’re curious about Internet connectivity or an ISPS service that tries to find out the address, broadband maps are the best starting point. In fact, it is so useful that Top tools we use to create in-depth reviews And figure it out Which Internet provider is the best in your area.
To ensure that the data on the map is current, the FCC updates its database twice a year to keep up with the ever-changing broadband landscape. in particular Fiber provider,,,,, 5G home internet and low orbit Satellite Internet Continuing to expand its footprint and keeping the latest database is crucial to understanding trends in the broadband industry. The latest updates fell at the end of November, and as of June 3, 2024, the data is currently the data we use in our comments.
However, despite the biennial update, the FCC is not without flaws in identifying its maps and data. Because the FCC relies on data reported by ISPs, sometimes these providers overcompensate the census blocks they cover. When the contrary is the case, it may be common for the FCC to list addresses as “unrelated” or “service”. To help improve accuracy, users can easily challenge, build types, list providers, and available speeds.
However, if you are looking at an internet provider, the FCC broadband map is one of the largest public data sources for Internet availability data in the country and is also a baseline for mapping the internet provider network. Fixed wireless internet products (including 5G internet and exclusion of satellite internet) increased by 13% as of June 3, 2024 – Matching the trend Convenience of fixed wireless Internet, overall high customer satisfaction.
Let’s take a closer look at the FCC broadband map, which works, and it also tells us about the state of broadband availability.
Go to Microsoft’s broadband map for data about Internet accessibility
Microsoft’s Digital Equity Data Dashboard Allow users to find data by county in various metrics.
Although the FCC broadband graph is one of the most important resources to study broadband connectivity, it is not the only source of data among Internet providers.
Microsoft has its own broadband map called Microsoft Digital Equity Data Dashboard. The tool utilizes FCC data along with data from the U.S. Census Bureau and a number of other sources to map state images of broadband accessibility.
While the FCC’s data focuses on internet providers and connectivity type availability nationwide, Microsoft’s Digital Equity dashboard focuses specifically on Internet access, so the map has a little more metrics than the FCC’s map, including home data for a specific county. However, unlike the FCC, Microsoft restricts maps to state-by-state view. If you are looking for information about state or county broadband access, a map from Microsoft is ideal for you. If you are looking for more general information about which internet addresses are on, FCC is a more user-friendly way to easily find that information.
How does FCC broadband map work?
The FCC compiles its data through ISP extracted (collected twice a year) and user extracted corrections.
Fixed wired internet providers report data on a location-by-position basis, while fixed wireless providers use something called “reproductive modeling” to show general coverage. Since fixed wireless providers are subject to so many variables in coverage (from weather to battery tower capacity), the data may not always accurately reflect the coverage you may get.
Finally, the FCC also relies on Costquesta broadband data consulting firm that uses GIS data to build actual maps, including available locations or locations without reliable broadband connections. The data provided by CostQuest also goes through an annual country-by-country challenge process.
FCC Broadband Map Discovery: Broadband is everywhere with capture
The latest broadband map shows that 99.98% of households in the United States have one Broadband connection -or at least 100Mbps download speed and 20Mbps Upload speed. As of June 2024, the number of underserved and unserved households decreased to 7.2 million, down from 8.8 million in December 2023. Although this is a good change, it doesn’t mean we’ve closed it Broadband divide. The latest data also shows More than one-third of Americans can only access one or no internet provider.
Satellite Internet, from Hughesnet,,,,, Viasat and Starlinksince every provider is available in almost every place in the U.S. and can offer download speeds of 100Mbps or higher in most service areas (although not too many).
When you take the satellite internet out of the equation, as the filters on the FCC map allow you to do so, only 94% of American homes can use broadband internet. These include wired (cable, DSL, fiber) and wireless connections T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G home internet. Shrink the scope further to include only cable and fiber services – the best connection type for fast speeds and planned varieties – further reduce broadband availability to 90%.
Additionally, the percentage limit for households using cables or fibers to get at least 1,000Mbps download speeds and 100Mbps upload speeds is 51%.
Broadband availability by connection type
| Connection type | National broadband availability | Approximate units are provided | Changes since December 31, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| cable | 82% | 134.4 million | 0% |
| DSL | 4% | 7 million | -1% |
| fiber | 46% | 74.9 million | 7% |
| Fixed wireless | 47% | 77.3 million | 13% |
| satellite | 99% | 162.8 million | 0% |
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Shopping provider at my address
Cables are the most usable connections
After satellite, wired internet is the most widely available type of connection, reaching approximately 82% of U.S. homes. From December 31, 2023, this may be due to the possibility that cable TV providers have added fiber optic connections on the network and disconnected customers from wired products.
Comcast’s xfinity With maximum cable coverage, it can be used in more than one-third of the U.S. homes, followed by spectrum About 29%, Cox 6%. Many smaller regional wired Internet providers form the remaining coverage. shock,,,,, MediaCom,,,,, optimal and Wideopenwest National coverage exceeds 1% of wired ISPs.
Wireless availability is growing rapidly
Despite the coverage of wired internet, the T-Mobile Home Internet shows the maximum home internet availability of any non-satellite provider at about 60%. However, it is worth noting that not all T-Mobile’s Home Internet coverage qualifies for broadband according to FCC data – again, this is the speed of FCC data at 100Mbps and 20Mbps. The percentage of households covered by T-Mobile home internet is at least 100Mbps and 20Mbps at just 18%.
It is worth noting that the national broadband availability of all fixed wireless providers, including T-Mobile as well as Verizon 5G home internet, US cellular, Google Fiber’s WebPass, Interstellar Internet,,,,, Upward broadband Many others are about 47%. This is still low compared to cables, but fixed wireless products are up 80% compared to data two years ago (December 2022).
The rapid popularity of fixed wireless internet options may be a good solution Rural broadbandvery lacking in cable and fiber optic internet.
According to the latest FCC data, more than 40% of U.S. households can use fiber internet. The service areas for all fiber providers are shown in the map above.
Fiber coverage is still rising
Fiber also saw year-on-year growth, up from 40% in June 2023 to 46% as of June 2024. While growth is promising, there is still plenty of room for fiber expansion, especially in suburban and rural areas. FCC data show that about 49% of households in urban areas are available for fiber internet, while only 37% of households in non-urban areas are available.
In addition to the major cities where fiber internet is most often found, the best lens for logging in to fiber internet connection is Rhode Island. More than three quarters of the state’s internet is available for more than three quarters thanks to major ISPs such as Verizon Fios and Cox. Other states that stand out for their extremely high fiber coverage include New York (63%), North Dakota (64%) and Connecticut (64%). Alaska The lowest fiber availability, accounting for more than 9% of households in the state, followed by Arizona (21%) and New Mexico (18%).
What’s wrong with DSL?
DSL Internet once competed with the wired internet in terms of availability, but the technology is now outdated. As a result, fewer providers provide DSL Internet to new customers and the network is shrinking.
That said, DSL Internet is probably the only actual home internet option in rural America. About 20% of homes can use broadband speeds of at least 25Mbps and 3Mbps, which is considered broadband until FCC improves definition.
So, what is available in my area?
FCC National Broadband Map Lets You narrow results into an area – state, county, census location, tribal area or metropolitan statistics area- or Specific locationsuch as your current address or the address you may want to move to.
Return the most detailed results by searching the address. Once you enter the address, you will get a list of the alphabets of available providers, the type of connection used, and the maximum speed provided. Remember that maximum speed may not be the only speed provided by the ISP. For example, at my address, Comporium and Spectrum offer download speeds up to 1,000Mbps, but also offer lower speeds of 300 and 500Mbps.
On the other hand, while some ISPs may advertise speeds up to 150Mbps or 220Mbps, you can’t actually guarantee that you will actually see those speeds due to network congestion, throttling, or Wi-Fi issues.
Report any inaccurate to the FCC
The FCC broadband map and data certainly improved, but that’s far from totally accurate. If you notice incorrect information about the address, whether it involves attribute details or the providers for its services, feel free to report it to the FCC.
Submitting a challenge request is easy, you only need it create an account First use the FCC broadband map site.
You can use the Location Challenge link to report any incorrect attribute details, such as the listed address, building type, and unit number. The Usability Challenge link allows you to send feedback or challenge the details of the provider, including the need to add a missing provider. Your submission will require your name, address and contact information as well as the reasons for your challenge and any documents you support the claim.
Submitting the challenge form only takes a few minutes. Doing so will help ensure that FCC data accurately represents your address, which may impact future funding or expansion efforts of your ISP in your area. For more information on FCC Broadband Map, Data and How to Improve It, please visit FCC National Broadband Map About Us Page.
