The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released its most recent report on access in the United States to fixed and mobile Internet connections, including information on the gap between current service levels and the benchmark Internet connection speeds recommended under the Commission’s National Broadband Plan.
According to the Commission’s report, entitled Internet Access Services: Status as of December 31, 2013, over 81% of fixed Internet connections to households meet or exceed the speed tier that most closely approximates the target set in the National Broadband Plan of 3 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 768 kilobits per second (kbps) upstream. This penetration rate for fixed high-speed service compares with 70% at the end of 2012, and just 49% in 2009.
At the same time, high-speed Internet access (defined at 3 Mbps downstream or greater) for subscribers of mobile wireless service continues to grow. As of December 2013, more than 67% of mobile subscribers had access to high-speed service, compared with just 38% as of December 2012.
Without accounting for speed, Internet connections overall are growing. By the end of December 2013, there were at least 293 million Internet connections operating at speeds over 200 kbps, a 12% year-over-year increase. Overall growth continues to be driven by dramatic increases in mobile connections. At the end of December 2013, there were over 197 million mobile Internet connections, compared with just 96 million fixed Internet connections.
Read the complete text of the Commission’s latest report on Internet access.
