Digital Divide

Ookla: Digital Divide Narrowed in 33 States

South Dakota ranked No. 1 in Starlink-delivered broadband speeds

Naomi Jindra

Oct 28, 2025 — 2 min read

Photo of Sue Marek, editorial director and a member of analyst team at Ookla

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2025 — Broadband speeds are improving nationwide as 33 states made measurable progress toward closing the digital divide, according to new data from Ookla.

In a report released Monday, the company shared findings from the first half of 2025.

“Speedtest data from the first half of 2025 revealed that 33 states narrowed the gap between how many rural users versus urban users were able to achieve the FCC’s minimum broadband speeds of 100 megabits per second download and 20 Mbps upload,” wrote Sue Marek, Ookla’s editorial director and a member of its analyst team.

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Digital Divide BEAD Ookla Sue Marek Starlink LEO

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