Some criticize the Federal Communications Commission for wanting to keep a minimum 25 Mbps broadband definition instead of boosting it to some other figure. Keeping in mind that figure is a minimum floor, not a ceiling, there is clear science behind the chosen definition.
After about 20 Mbps, there is little to no improvement in user experience when using webpages, for example. The key caveat, however, is that multiple users on any account make a difference, if multiple users or devices are used simultaneously.
Generally speaking, even in a household with multiple users, only 4K ultra-high-definition streaming will stress the connection.
That noted, even in many rural gigabit speed service is available at levels that would surprise many.
And typical speeds in cities routinely are far above the minimum. “The median download speed, averaged across all participating ISPs, was approximately 72 Mbps in September 2017,” according the most-recent Federal Communications Commission report on U.S. broadband service.
Platform continues to matter. “While cable and fiber providers had median speeds ranging from 78 to 120 Mbps (with only one outlier provider with 56 Mbps median speed); the DSL and satellite providers had median speeds that ranged from 2 to 20 Mbps,” the FCC notes.
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