FCC changes rules to give US customers much faster internet

The FCC has increased its broadband speed benchmark for ISPs in an attempt to give Americans better high-speed internet.

The Federal Communications Commission held its open March meeting on March 14 and revealed new rules and regulations for things such as intent speed and cyber security.

One of the biggest changes listed by the federal agency was to the bar set for internet service providers to call their products “high-speed internet.”

According to a press release from the FCC, “advanced telecommunications capability is not being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion based on the total number of Americans, Americans in rural areas, and people living on Tribal lands who lack access to such capability, and the fact that these gaps in deployment are not closing rapidly enough.”

FCC changes high-speed internet designation

To help fix the issues found in the report, the FCC announced that it is raising the benchmark for “high-speed fixed broadband” for the first time since 2015.

The new standard is now a download speed of 100 megabits per second and an upload speed of 20 megabits per second. This is a four times increase for the bar set in 2015, which was 25 megabits per second.

Broadband and internet speed and access have been an issue in America for a while thanks to their prices and lack of carrier options. Most Americans are stuck with only one, maybe two options, for internet service. Many ISPs have been accused of slowing down their services, charging junk fees, and being as unreliable as companies in other countries.

Americans, especially gamers, seem overjoyed with the news as the updated benchmark can only increase their satisfaction with their internet provider and make their online experience more enjoyable.

How ISPs will react to this change, and whether it will be reverted back to its original benchmark under a new administration, is yet to be seen.