The FCC’s latest progress report has exposed internal divisions on the role of satellite in helping to deliver high-speed connectivity nationwide
Widening network rollouts are closing the US’ digital divide
On 13 August 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted its latest “Section 706 Report” on the rollout of high-speed internet across the US. Under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act 1996, the regulator is required to determine and report annually on whether “advanced telecoms capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion”. The FCC states that intensifying competition is driving operators towards ubiquitous service, with consumers in the US benefitting from faster and more affordable and robust broadband services. This positivity was emphasised by Brendan Carr (Chair, FCC), who stated that “President Trump’s policies are delivering great results” for communities across the country. He added that “speeds are up, prices are down, competition is stronger than before, and the digital divide has narrowed substantially”.
The FCC’s inclusion of satellite in its reporting has drawn criticism from one of its commissioners
Key findings from the 706 Report seek to highlight that coverage of 100/20Mbps broadband stands at almost 97%, with the number of consumers lacking access to such a service decreasing by around 23% between June 2024-June 2025. “Over a two-year period” (presumably June 2023 to June 2025), this reduction was approximately 43%. During that same period, the percentage of rural consumers lacking access to 100/20Mbps fixed terrestrial broadband service decreased by over 44%. With the inclusion of satellite, 100/20Mbps rural broadband is nearly universally available in the US’ more remote locations. Meanwhile, almost 95% of US homes and businesses are now covered by 5G with a minimum speed of 35/3Mbps, with the number of consumers unable to access this service declining by over 30% since June 2023.
According to the FCC, consumers also have more competitive options than ever before: As of June 2025, 77% of consumers have access to 100/20Mbps fixed broadband from three or more operators, while 43.4% of Americans have access to a 100/20Mbps service from three or more terrestrial operators. In her statement, however, Anna Gomez (Commissioner, FCC) took issue with the inclusion of satellite in the stated broadband access figures, especially with respect to its usability, citing challenges relating to physical obstructions, capacity constraints and network congestion that undermine its performance. Gomez also objected to the FCC’s framing of success primarily on the availability of telecoms services, stating that infrastructure is of “little value to consumers” when it is not usable for high-speed, reliable connectivity or when it is not affordable, adding that the regulator’s exclusion of these factors from the report’s analysis was a policy decision she did not agree with.
Competition is intensifying despite the telecoms market’s increasing concentration
Underlining Carr’s points, the report also outlines that:
Speeds are increasing: Mobile download speeds increased by 51% in 2025. Between late 2024 and early 2026, average upload and download speeds for fixed wireless access (FWA) services are up 36.9% and 25.1%, respectively (according to Ookla data). In rural areas, those upload and download speeds rose slightly more strongly, increasing 39.8% and 28.7%, respectively;
Prices are falling: Actual prices for mobile services have now fallen four times more during the first 18 months of the second Trump Administration compared to the same time under Joe Biden (former President, US). While international benchmarks typically find that prices in the US remain relatively high, the FCC argues that they are declining across the board, with postpaid unlimited mobile plans down 10% and the cost of the most popular fixed broadband tariffs falling 6% over the last year;
Competition is intensifying: The percentage of homes and businesses nationwide that have three or more service options with at least 100/20Mbps speeds increased 4.85% over the December 2024 to December 2025 period; and
Approved deal flow (i.e. M&A) has increased: Since January 2025, the FCC has approved transactions worth $130bn (£96bn) in value, including at least $50bn (£37bn) of deals in the fixed market – e.g. AT&T/Lumen and Verizon/Frontier – that promise more investment, infrastructure deployment, and connectivity throughout the US.
Progress on the copper switch-off, but much work left to do elsewhere
According to the FCC, the Build America Agenda – the brainchild of Carr, which launched in July 2025 – has made great progress in its first year. Coupled with the Trump Administration’s policies, the regulator claims to be seeing tangible results, including in getting communities off slower, legacy copper lines and on to faster, modern networks, as well as in terms of smart spectrum and siting measures, resulting in a “massive” growth of FWA offerings, which can meet consumers’ needs at lower price points. Despite the “tremendous progress” made so far, Carr acknowledges that there is more work to do to remove regulatory barriers, encourage deployments and conduct new spectrum auctions. On this point, he found common ground with Gomez, who stated that challenges to service quality, capacity, and affordability still exist, providing a clear indication of the efforts needed to ensure everyone across the US has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed connectivity.
