94% of U.S. Homes Can Buy Mobile Broadband at 3 Mbps Speeds

Some 93.9 percent of mobile Internet access subscribers in the United States have access at 3 Mbps or faster, compared to about 93 percent of fixed network subscribers, an NTIA analysis suggests. The latest NTIA analysis will be updated in another six months, and the NTIA says it still wants feedback on the accuracy of the maps supporting the data.

Some 34 percent of homes have access to fixed wireless networks offer access at 3 Mbps. When considering that figure, keep in mind that fixed wireless does not operate as ubiquitously as do DSL and cable modem networks. The NTIA data only suggests that about a third of U.S. households can buy service at 3 Mbps from a fixed wireless provider.

That scenario does not change for speeds of at leaset 6 Mbps. As you would guess, fixed networks using optical fiber or cable modems have broad coverage at 6 Mbps or higher speeds. Some 86 percent of locations can buy cable high speed access at 6 Mbps or faster.

About 64 percent of digital subscriber line locations are able to get 6 Mbps service. About 78.6 percent of locations have access to mobile broadband of at least 6 Mbps.

Availability begins to diverge more at speeds of 25 Mbps. Only about 7.7 percent of U.S. homes have access to DSL at that rate. But 75.5 percent of homes can buy cable modem service operating at 25 Mbps.

About 4.7 percent of homes can buy fixed wireless service at 25 Mbps.