The FCC’s newly adopted Section 706 Report tells a clear story. The wired and wireless broadband marketplace is working for consumers, with speeds climbing, competitive options multiplying, and the digital divide continuing to narrow, all while prices move in the opposite direction.
None of this happens by accident. It’s the product of a dynamic, competitive marketplace, and cable providers have been central to that story, building out advanced fiber and gigabit-capable networks, launching competitive mobile offerings and rolling out next-generation Wi-Fi to make every connection in the home count.
Broadband Availability Keeps Climbing
The report finds that advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion, driven by intensifying competition. Among the key findings:
- 97% of Americans now have access to fixed terrestrial broadband at 100/20 Mbps. The number of people without access declined approximately 23% from June 2024 to June 2025, and by roughly 43% over two years.
- The share of rural Americans lacking 100/20 Mbps access has declined by more than 44% over two years, and rural deployment is nearly universal once satellite service is included.
- Cable providers are also helping drive the rural gains highlighted in the report. Charter was the largest winning bidder in the FCC’s RDOF Phase I auction, with $1.14 billion assigned to serve more than 950,000 locations across 24 states. Comcast, meanwhile, is the largest winning BEAD Program awardee with $1.6 billion assigned to serve nearly 250,000 locations across 34 states, extending cable’s role in the next phase of rural broadband deployment.
- Mobile 5G access is now nearly ubiquitous, with almost 95% of American homes covered by 5G at 35/3 Mbps.
More Competitors, More Choices
Competition is the throughline of this year’s report, and the underlying data show how widely consumer choice has expanded:
- 77% of Americans have access to three or more fixed broadband services at 100/20 Mbps.
- More than 43% of Americans have access to three or more fixed terrestrial services at 100/20 Mbps.
More competition and lower prices occur when providers continually invest to outcompete one another, and cable has been at the center of that push.
Cable’s competitive footprint extends well beyond the home as providers have become significant players in the mobile marketplace. Evidence shows that cable’s presence changes prices for everyone, not just its own customers.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics data also shows wireless phone service prices have fallen nearly 30% since 2010, with increased competition holding average monthly wireless spending roughly $20 lower than it would otherwise be.
- Consumers who choose cable mobile offerings see even bigger savings, with average bills more than $80 lower monthly.
Wi-Fi and 6 GHz Are Multiplying the Benefit
A faster, more competitive network only delivers value if it reaches every device in the home, and that’s where Wi-Fi comes in.
- 90% of all cable mobile data traffic now runs over Wi-Fi, enabling cable mobile providers to deliver compelling savings and greater competition in the wireless marketplace. Ubiquitous Wi-Fi helps make that model possible, with savings for cable mobile customers projected to reach $6 billion in 2026.
- The average home already connects roughly 25 devices over Wi-Fi, a number projected to nearly double by 2030.
Much of that performance traces back to a single spectrum decision: opening the full 1,200 megahertz 6 GHz band for unlicensed use. That decision has powered Wi-Fi 6E and the rollout of Wi-Fi 7, delivering the wider channels and lower latency needed as more devices compete for bandwidth across homes, schools, and businesses. The economic results have exceeded early projections, with the incremental value tied to 6 GHz-enabled technologies estimated at more than $870 billion in 2023 and 2024 alone, far surpassing the $180 billion projected over five years when the band first opened.
Demand for more Wi-Fi and devices isn’t slowing down. Annual shipments of 6 GHz-enabled Wi-Fi chipsets grew from 200 million in 2022 to 1.1 billion in 2025 and are projected to reach 2.6 billion by 2030. Sustaining the gains reflected in this year’s 706 Report will mean building on that foundation, including freeing up more unlicensed spectrum in the 7 GHz band, so Wi-Fi can keep pace with what Americans expect from their connections.
Bottom Line
The 2026 Section 706 Report reinforces a trend that the data has been showing for some time. A competitive marketplace, backed by continued investment in affordable, high-quality connectivity, is the most effective driver of broadband deployment, speed, and value. As policymakers look to build on this momentum, preserving the conditions that have fueled that competition, including continued access to unlicensed spectrum, will be essential to keeping American consumers connected.
