Last year, the FCC increased its decades-old minimum standard for broadband speeds. But many states are struggling to meet those standards, Gizmodo reports.
The digital divide in the U.S. continues to widen, despite some progress in broadband availability. A recent report by Ookla, covering July–December 2024, revealed only 22 states meet the FCC’s updated minimum broadband speed standard (100 Mbps / 20 Mbps), though that’s up from just nine states earlier in the year.
The end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which offered internet subsidies to low-income and tribal households, likely worsened the divide, according to Ookla. Urban areas saw most of the improvement, while 32 states experienced growing rural-urban gaps, especially Washington, Oregon, Illinois, and Missouri.
Despite setbacks, there’s been growth in broadband coverage, with 2.6 million more locations meeting the FCC’s standard and 1.1 million more served by cable. Federal programs like the Digital Equity Capacity Grant and Rural Digital Opportunity Fund contributed to this progress.
However, the BEAD program, aimed at expanding fiber internet, was delayed by the Trump administration, which seeks a more “technology-neutral” approach, Inside Towers has reported. Even with political and funding challenges, Ookla expects continued expansion of broadband access into 2025.
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