USTelecom

USTelecom’s annual Broadband Pricing Index (BPI) finds that year over year, real prices for the most popular internet services (100–940 Mbps) fell 6.0%, while gigabit plans declined 4.9%.2 Over the longer term, prices for the internet services most households buy today have fallen 43.6% since 2014,3 even as other mainstay consumer goods and services have risen 36%. Average download speeds, meanwhile, have surged 21.9% year over year and 145% since 2014. For the first time, the report breaks out pricing across three speed bands within the 100–940 Mbps range.

USTelecom President and CEO Jonathan Spalter urged Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to implement recent White House guidance to federal agencies that would expedite broadband permitting on federal lands and help connect more Americans to fast, reliable internet service. In letters to both Secretaries (

Across the country, policymakers are reexamining outdated telecommunications rules that no longer reflect how Americans communicate. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission took another big step toward speeding our nation’s transition to modern digital networks, joining the more than two dozen states who have made this progress a priority. This requires reforming decades-old state rules, such as “Carrier of Last Resort,” that require phone companies to spend billions maintaining outdated copper networks rather than focusing on faster, stronger networks consumers actually use.

Bravo to the Federal Communications Commission—coming off the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act, the Commission has taken a critical step toward releasing consumers from legacy copper networks and the rules that govern them. With this draft order, the FCC is working toward updating rules to reflect reality, accelerating America’s transition from outdated copper infrastructure to the modern, high-speed networks consumers consistently choose and rely on.

In 2026, policy must rise to meet the moment to propel our nation to global leadership in a connected world.

In a period where every dollar counts for most Americans, consumer broadband services are delivering another year of declining prices and faster speeds. This sixth edition of USTelecom’s Broadband Pricing Index shows U.S. broadband services have continued a long-running trend of pairing faster speeds with lower bills. These price declines stand in sharp contrast to overall U.S. inflation, which stood at 2.4 percent from March 2024 to March 2025. The continued progress of broadband affordability and quality over the past year adds to a 10-year record of soaring consumer value.

Broadband service providers in the US invested $89.6 billion in US communications infrastructure in 2024. In 2024, capital spending reflected long-term trends supporting the evolution of the nation’s connectivity infrastructure: deeper fiber deployment, expanding rural reach, wireless development, and growing overall network capacity to support booming AI, cloud computing, streaming and other advances. At the same time, providers navigated headwinds in 2024—including higher interest rates and a more cautious capital expenditure environment.

USTelecom – The Broadband Association submitted formal comments to the bipartisan Universal Service Fund Working Group, urging Congress to seize this pivotal moment to modernize the USF and safeguard universal connectivity for the 21st century. USTelecom’s call to action underscores four core imperatives:

We are writing to thank you for your commitment to the BEAD program for rural broadband deployment. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that established the BEAD program was passed three-and-a-half years ago—and yet not a single household has been connected to high-speed internet through the program. To fulfill its long overdue mission of connecting all Americans, we urge you to both eliminate the unnecessary and burdensome program requirements imposed by the Biden Administration and enable the States to move forward quickly with implementation.

USTelecom - The Broadband Association submitted remarks to the Federal Communications Commission in response to the In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete request for comments. USTelecom's suggestions focused on regulations that impact broadband providers that started as voice providers, like requirements to maintain copper telephone lines. "USTelecom recommends prioritizing elimination of regulations that stymie fiber and other broadband investment by imposing high and unjustified costs that tip the playing field towards competing providers and industries.