FCC Proposal to Scale Back Broadband Standards Draws Fire
Rural co-ops press FCC for symmetrical 100 * 100 Mbps broadband standard
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2025 – As it prepares its annual broadband deployment report, the Federal Communications Commission is confronting sharp divisions over whether to scale back long-term gigabit standards.
On Aug. 5, the FCC advanced Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal to narrow the scope of its Section 706 inquiry, scrapping affordability and adoption measures and rolling back the 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) * 500 Megabit per second (Mbps) long-term broadband benchmark set in 2024.
Now, rural cooperatives and equity groups have countered, telling the FCC it should raise – not lower – its standards, with some pressing for a symmetrical 100 Mbps upload * 100 Mbps download benchmark for fixed broadband to support economic development in rural regions.
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