FCC Scraps 1,000/500Mbps Broadband Goal as 96.9% Meet Lower 100/20 Standard
Updated
Updated · CNET · Aug 27
FCC Scraps 1,000/500Mbps Broadband Goal as 96.9% Meet Lower 100/20 Standard
1 articles · Updated · CNET · Aug 27
Summary
The FCC’s new broadband deployment report drops the long-term goal of universal 1,000Mbps download and 500Mbps upload service, while recasting broadband as “often essential” rather than simply essential.
Brendan Carr’s FCC says the change preserves technological neutrality and reflects uncertainty over future demand, arguing 96.9% of Americans already have access to the current 100/20Mbps benchmark.
Critics say that standard is flattered by provider self-reporting and by counting satellite options such as Starlink, whose median first-quarter 2026 speeds were 127/21Mbps—far below the scrapped gig-speed target.
Anna Gomez and broadband advocates warn the shift could steer future funding away from fiber and leave rural areas technically “covered” by slower services that may not scale well for AI-heavy, low-latency use.
Affordability also recedes in the report—mentioned 27 times versus 177 in 2024—even though surveys and outside analyses say cost remains a leading reason Americans stay offline and prices are still rising.