November 14, 2019
USTelecom and CensusNBM analysis of the latest semi-annual broadband availability data from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), for mid-year 2018, show ongoing progress in broadband deployment in an increasingly competitive marketplace. USTelecom has tracked broadband deployment data since 2010 when the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released its first national broadband map. Responsibility for broadband deployment data shifted from NTIA to the FCC starting with mid-year 2014 data. USTelecom, with CensusNBM, has issued Research Briefs semi-annually with detailed analysis since the FCC release of mid-year 2016 data.
The data show that, through capital investments that amounted to $80 billion in 2018 and totaled more than $1.7 trillion since 1996, broadband providers continue to deploy more and faster broadband to American consumers and businesses across the nation. They also show rural broadband gaps continuing to decline. While progress is strong in all speed categories, the need to upgrade networks is constant and significant challenges remain in closing rural broadband gaps. Therefore, it is imperative for policymakers to maintain an investment-friendly environment for broadband deployment.