United States: FCC increases benchmark for high-speed fixed broadband to 100Mbps

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has increased its benchmark for high-speed fixed broadband to download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second. This fulfils a  four-fold increase from the 25/3 Mbps benchmark set by the Commission in 2015

The increase has been put down to advancements in telecommunications capabilities "used in multiple federal and state programs (such as NTIA’s BEAD Program and multiple USF programs), consumer usage patterns, and what is available from and marketed by Internet service providers."

"This fix is overdue," said Jessica Rosenworcel, chairwoman at the FCC. "It aligns us with pandemic legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the work of our colleagues at other agencies. It also helps us better identify the extent to which low-income neighborhoods and rural communities are underserved."