A new report from the FCC reveals some startling facts about the state of broadband internet in the U.S. More notably, however, is the stunning lack of truly high-speed internet access in the market, revealing potential impacts on the growth of streaming video services.
As shown in the following graph, a large number of U.S. consumers also lack effective high-speed internet access.
Of the nearly 106 million downstream connections in the study, nearly 4 million couldn’t obtain at least 3 Mbps in downstream speeds. Meanwhile, 40% of American households had no access to more than 25 Mbps.
According to Netflix, at least 3 Mbps downstream speed is suggested for SD streaming. Based on the FCC’s findings, around 4% of American households could not stream even the lowest quality Netflix streams. The service also recommends 25 Mbps for Ultra HD streaming, a limiting factor for 40% of U.S. households.
FCC Shows No Competition in the U.S. Internet Market
The problem for U.S. consumers is more than just a lack of high speed. The FCC’s data adds another feather in the hat for those who have long stated that broadband competition is lacking.
Even for 25 Mbps downstream speeds, 30% of U.S. households have just one provider available to them. A further 13% of households have no access to a 25 Mbps downstream provider at all. In all, only 26% of households had access to 3 or more providers for 25 Mbps. For 100 Mbps, 44% of American households have no providers available, while a further 41% have only one provider available.
The news was not all bad, however. According to the FCC’s data, all levels of internet access become more available since 2013.
Sam Cook is a full-time content strategist by day, a part-time freelance content writer since 2015. In another life, he was a high school English teacher for nearly a decade. Based in sunny New Orleans, he writes long-form educational content on technology, including Insurtech, Fintech, HRtech, and content streaming. He loves whittling down complex ideas within these areas that make decisions easier for buyers. When he’s not reading books with his son Miles and playing video games with the family, you can find him immersed in his growing collection of Euro-style board games.
