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Policy & Regulation

Broadband

High-speed internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up. The FCC defines broadband as a minimum of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload as of 2024.

What It Means

Broadband is a regulatory term defined by the Federal Communications Commission under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which requires the FCC to periodically assess whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion. The FCC has raised the broadband definition four times: 200 Kbps symmetrical in 1999, 4/1 Mbps in 2010, 25/3 Mbps in 2015, and 100/20 Mbps in March 2024. The March 2024 update was the most consequential: it quadrupled the download threshold, raised the upload threshold nearly 7x, and set a long-term aspirational target of 1 Gbps down and 500 Mbps up. Locations below the current 100/20 threshold are classified as "underserved," and locations below 25/3 are classified as "unserved," these classifications directly determine which addresses qualify for BEAD $42.45 billion funding, USDA ReConnect loans and grants, and state rural broadband programs. The FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), a twice-yearly address-level availability database that replaced the legacy Form 477, is the authoritative source used for both consumer lookup tools and federal program eligibility. In the Broadband Grade, any ZIP code with a majority of locations meeting the 100/20 definition automatically qualifies for grades of C or better, while ZIP codes with widespread unserved locations typically receive F grades regardless of provider count.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "Broadband" mean?

High-speed internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up. The FCC defines broadband as a minimum of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload as of 2024.

Why does Broadband matter for internet quality?

Broadband is a regulatory term defined by the Federal Communications Commission under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which requires the FCC to periodically assess whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion....

Related Terms

Digital Divide
The gap between communities with access to fast, reliable, affordable internet and those without. Disproportionately affects rural, low-income, and tribal areas.
BEAD Program
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, a $42.45 billion federal initiative to expand broadband access to underserved and unserved areas across all 50 states.
FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC)
The FCC's address-level broadband availability database that replaced the older Form 477 system. Collects data from every ISP twice a year covering over 116 million locations.
Net Neutrality
The principle that internet service providers must treat all internet traffic equally, without blocking, throttling, or prioritizing certain websites or services.

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About This Data

Definitions based on FCC standards, industry specifications, and federal broadband policy. Speed benchmarks reflect 2024 FCC standards. See our methodology.

this entity is one of the U.S. internet availability and broadband speed concepts that recurs across this site. The definition above is the technical answer; the paragraphs below add the practical context for how the concept connects to the the FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) data behind every per-entity page on the site.

In the the FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) data, this concept shapes one or more of the fields that drive the per-entity grades and rankings on this site. The methodology page describes which fields feed into which output; this glossary entry documents the underlying term.

Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection, 2026.