Using Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence® data, this report identifies the states that are currently delivering the minimum standard for fixed broadband speeds as established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 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 takeaways, including Minnesota’s most improved status…
- Connecticut, North Dakota, Delaware and six other states are the top performing states because they have the highest percentage of Speedtest users that meet the FCC’s minimum standard for fixed broadband speeds of 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream. While comparing small, densely populated states with larger, sparsely populated states may seem unfair, we thought it was important to note the current performance of each state so we can track their progress in future reports.
- New Mexico, Arizona and Minnesota saw the biggest improvement in the percentage of Speedtest users getting the FCC’s minimum standard for fixed broadband speeds (100 Mbps down/20 Mbps up) between the first half of 2023 and the first half of 2024.
- Washington, Alaska, Illinois and Oregon have the most prominent digital divide of all the 50 states. These four states have the biggest gap between the percentage of rural Speedtest users vs. the percentage of urban Speedtest users that get FCC’s minimum standard of broadband speeds of 100 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream.
- Not surprisingly, less than 40% of the Speedtest users of Alaska, Montana and Wyoming (which are three of the least densely populated states in the U.S.), are receiving the minimum broadband speeds of 100 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream.
They also look at the digital divide:
Big thanks to Ookla for sharing data with me so that I can see that Minnesota ranks 34 for speedtest takers with access to 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. So while it’s nice to get a “most improved” ranking, we still have a way to go! Here’s the ranking…
| State | BB percent | Rank |
| New Jersey | 66.4 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 65.8 | 2 |
| North Dakota | 65.48 | 3 |
| Maryland | 63.71 | 4 |
| Delaware | 63.32 | 5 |
| Rhode Island | 62.7 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 62.23 | 7 |
| Utah | 61.78 | 8 |
| New Hampshire | 60.46 | 9 |
| Virginia | 60.12 | 10 |
| District of Columbia | 59.51 | 11 |
| Massachusetts | 59.36 | 12 |
| Indiana | 58.76 | 13 |
| Kansas | 58.76 | 14 |
| Florida | 58.41 | 15 |
| Texas | 57.9 | 16 |
| Nevada | 57.41 | 17 |
| Iowa | 57.39 | 18 |
| South Dakota | 57.22 | 19 |
| Pennsylvania | 56.79 | 20 |
| Mississippi | 56.5 | 21 |
| Georgia | 55.74 | 22 |
| Alabama | 55.64 | 23 |
| Nebraska | 55.54 | 24 |
| New York | 55.33 | 25 |
| Illinois | 54.74 | 26 |
| Oklahoma | 54.56 | 27 |
| Missouri | 54.4 | 28 |
| Arkansas | 54.3 | 29 |
| Colorado | 53.86 | 30 |
| Arizona | 53.66 | 31 |
| California | 53.23 | 32 |
| West Virginia | 53.11 | 33 |
| Minnesota | 52.94 | 34 |
| North Carolina | 52.8 | 35 |
| South Carolina | 52.69 | 36 |
| Kentucky | 52.53 | 37 |
| Oregon | 52.27 | 38 |
| Michigan | 52.18 | 39 |
| Idaho | 51.27 | 40 |
| Hawaii | 51.01 | 41 |
| Washington | 50.98 | 42 |
| Ohio | 48.07 | 43 |
| Vermont | 48.04 | 44 |
| Louisiana | 47.79 | 45 |
| New Mexico | 44.39 | 46 |
| Maine | 42.54 | 47 |
| Wisconsin | 42.15 | 48 |
| Wyoming | 39.03 | 49 |
| Alaska | 37.99 | 50 |
| Montana | 31.5 | 51 |