Ookla
50 U.S. States Broadband Speed Performance
What a difference two years makes. When we first tracked fixed broadband performance across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in 2024 using Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data, only 10 states provided the Federal Communications Commission’s minimum standard for broadband speeds (100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload) via fiber, cable, or DSL to at least 60 percent of their Speedtest users. In the first half of 2026, 46 states and D.C. hit that 60 percent threshold, and just four states fell below the mark: Wisconsin, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska.
U.S. FWA Was Envisioned as a Rural Broadband Fix, but Urban Users Are Embracing It Too
U.S. 5G fixed wireless access connections from Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T topped 17 million in Q1 2026—capturing 13.74% of the nation’s 123.75 million home broadband subscriptions, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s January 2026 American Community Survey. Ookla looked at FWA performance trends throughout the first half of 2026 and found steady progress in speeds and latency.
Beyond Download Speed: Benchmarking 5G Mobile Networks Against AI Workloads
AI has changed what a good mobile network looks like, and the metric the industry has marketed for two decades—peak download speed—no longer predicts it. The networks that top the download charts are often not the ones best prepared for AI traffic. Whether an AI application feels instant or breaks depends in large part on how much a network can upload, how it holds up under load, and how consistently it reaches the cloud, and on those measures, different networks come out on top.
In Europe, Starlink Finds Its Sweet Spot
Europe’s broadband story can look close to complete from a national coverage chart. Fiber networks are expanding, gigabit targets are embedded in policy, and many households now have much faster fixed broadband than they did a few years ago. The harder question is what happens at the edge of that progress. Starlink’s role as a low-Earth orbit broadband provider is clearest in those remaining gaps. Across Europe, the service is most visible where fixed networks are delayed, weaker, difficult to extend, or needed as backup.
Starlink Hits New Highs in the U.S.
Ookla Speedtest® data from the second half of 2025 indicates that Starlink dramatically improved its download speed performance across all 50 states compared to the second half of 2024. In fact, Speedtest users on Starlink are now able to get median download speeds exceeding 100 Mbps in every state but Alaska. This is more than double the 23 states that recorded median download speeds exceeding 100 Mbps in the second half of 2024. In addition, Starlink also improved its download performance in the 25th percentile, or the bottom quarter of Speedtest users on Starlink.
Starlink-powered O2 Satellite Puts the UK at the Front of Europe’s D2D Race
The UK has become the first country in Western Europe where a smartphone can reach a satellite directly without specialist hardware or a separate app. Virgin Media O2 launched O2 Satellite on February 26, 2026, using SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile constellation over licensed 1800 MHz spectrum, and priced it at £3 per month on Pay Monthly plans or at no extra cost on high-end “Ultimate” tariffs. The launch follows a partnership announced in October 2025 and an Ofcom authorization framework finalized in December 2025.
In Search of the World’s Fastest In-Flight Wi-Fi
Which airline offers the fastest in-flight Wi-Fi? It’s a simple question with an increasingly important answer. As our lives become more “always connected,” the frustration of poor or non-existent connectivity becomes more acute. We have reached a point where the quality of in-flight connectivity (IFC) can be a decisive factor for passengers choosing flights and airlines based on their digital experience. For airlines, providing high-quality Wi-Fi is no longer just a perk—now it is a critical driver of passenger loyalty.
Measuring the Direct-to-Device Marketplace: 2026
Just a few years ago, the idea that a smartphone could connect to a satellite seemed more science fiction than technological possibility. But now, such connections are not only possible, they’re popping up in a growing number of locations around the world. This development has significant implications for cellular network providers, telecommunications regulators, cell tower operators, and equipment vendors—not to mention mobile users themselves. After all, D2D technology ultimately promises to eliminate outdoor cellular dead zones globally. However, D2D technology is still maturing.
50 U.S. States Broadband Speed Performance
Using Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data, this report identifies the states that currently have access to the minimum standard for fixed broadband speeds, as established by the Federal Communications Commission, to the highest percentage of Speedtest users. It also singles out the states that need the most improvement when it comes to delivering the minimum standard for broadband to their residents. Key findings include: