FCC increases minimum requirement of 'broadband speed' for first time in 9 years

After nine years of stagnant benchmarks, the FCC has finally raised the minimum requirement to be defined as “broadband speed” internet service. The benchmark had been sitting at 25Mbps download speeds and 3Mbps upload speeds since 2015, and was further cemented by former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who argued in 2021 we still didn’t need more than that. Undoing more of Pai’s damage to internet service as we know it, the FCC finally decided we do need more than that and raised the benchmark to 100Mbps download/20Mbps upload.

The FCC announced its raised requirements for the minimum definition of broadband speed internet via a press release posted this week. From here on out, the new benchmarks at 100Mbps/20Mbps will be the minimum standard for a service to be legally defined as “broadband speed,” as shared in the release:

While the previous FCC broadband standards were set in 2015, noted anti-net neutrality Santa impersonator and former FCC Chairperson Ajit Pai upheld the standard in 2021 before his departure.
Source: FCC

The FCC’s press release goes on to say that this is not the end of its goals for advancement of internet service availability and quality in the United States. The organization reported that availability of internet service is not up to the standards that the FCC feels should be supplied to all Americans. In particular, rural and tribal lands were said to be underserved. Moreover, the FCC has set a long-term goal of raising broadband standards up to 1Gbps/500Mbps.

Ajit Pai arguably helped hold internet development and standards back for a nearly decade before his exit from the FCC, but it looks like the current organization is finally undoing damage done. As we wait to see the implications of this decision, keep it locked here at Shacknews for updates.