What speed counts as broadband? FCC and Ofcom definitions

In the US, the FCC defines high-speed fixed broadband as at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. It has used that benchmark since March 2024 and kept it in its August 2026 report. In the UK, Ofcom calls a connection "decent" if it delivers at least 10 Mbit/s down and 1 Mbit/s up, and "superfast" from 30 Mbit/s. These are policy benchmarks for measuring coverage, not a promise of what any particular home gets.

The US definition: 100/20 Mbps

The FCC sets its benchmark in an annual report under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act, which asks whether "advanced telecommunications capability" is reaching all Americans. That benchmark is what officials and providers mean by "high-speed internet".

How it has changed:

Period	FCC fixed broadband benchmark
2015 to March 2024	25 Mbps down / 3 Mbps up
March 2024 onward	100 Mbps down / 20 Mbps up

In March 2024, the FCC raised the benchmark from 25/3 to 100/20 Mbps. It called it a four-fold increase, and it also set a long-term goal of 1 Gbps down and 500 Mbps up.

The 2026 Section 706 Report, adopted on August 13, 2026, kept 100/20 Mbps as the benchmark. It abolished the 1,000/500 Mbps long-term goal without replacing it. The FCC said Section 706 doesn't mention a long-term goal and that one could conflict with its duty to stay technology-neutral. Not every commissioner agreed: Commissioner Gomez criticized the change in a separate statement.

The same report says about 97% of Americans had access to fixed terrestrial broadband at 100/20 Mbps or faster as of June 2025, counting cable, fiber and fixed wireless. For mobile, the FCC tracks 5G service at 35/3 Mbps.

The UK definitions: decent, superfast, ultrafast, gigabit

Ofcom doesn't use a single "broadband" cut-off. It sorts lines into bands by the download speed they can deliver:

• Decent: at least 10 Mbit/s down and 1 Mbit/s up
• Superfast: at least 30 Mbit/s
• Ultrafast: at least 300 Mbit/s (Ofcom also reports a 100 Mbit/s band)
• Gigabit-capable: 1 Gbit/s or more

Mbit/s and Mbps mean the same thing. The decent level is backed by law. Under the broadband universal service obligation, a home or business that can't get 10/1 Mbit/s may be able to request an upgraded connection from BT, or KCOM in Hull, subject to eligibility and cost limits. Ofcom's spring 2026 update estimated that 39,000 premises still couldn't get decent broadband from a fixed line or fixed wireless network in January 2026.

For how UK speeds compare in practice, see the average broadband speed in the UK.

Why the US and UK numbers are so different

The two benchmarks answer different questions.

The FCC's 100/20 Mbps describes what it considers a modern, adequate household connection, and it uses the figure to measure how many people are still unserved. Ofcom's 10/1 Mbit/s is a legal minimum: the level below which a household can demand an upgrade. Ofcom's "superfast" and "gigabit-capable" bands are closer in spirit to the FCC's benchmark.

So a UK line at 50 Mbit/s is "superfast" to Ofcom but wouldn't count as broadband under the FCC's current benchmark. Neither label tells you whether 50 Mbps is enough for your home.

What the benchmarks mean for you

Treat the benchmark as a reference point, not a target.

100/20 Mbps is a comfortable floor for a typical household. As a rule of thumb, it covers several 4K streams at once (Netflix recommends 15 Mbps for each), video calls, gaming and normal browsing. The 20 Mbps upload is often the more useful half: it keeps video calls clear while photos back up to the cloud.

A plan under 100/20 isn't automatically bad. One or two people who stream in HD and make the odd call can be fine on 25–50 Mbps. The old 25/3 benchmark fell short mainly on upload: 3 Mbps struggles once someone is on a video call and something else is uploading.

Faster than the benchmark only helps if you use it. Gigabit plans mostly save time on very large downloads. They don't make streaming or calls smoother once you're comfortably above what those apps need.

Our guide to what internet speed you need sizes a plan by household rather than by policy label.

Checking whether your connection meets the benchmark

Benchmarks describe the speed delivered to your home. To compare fairly:

1. Run the SpeedMetric speed test on a computer connected to the router with an Ethernet cable.
2. Pause other downloads, uploads and streams first.
3. Compare both numbers, download and upload, to the benchmark and to your plan.

A Wi-Fi result far from the router will usually be lower than what the line delivers. If a wired result sits well under your plan, our guide to a speed test that's lower than advertised walks through what to check before you contact your provider. Speed tests report in megabits, the same unit as these benchmarks. If a download window shows MB/s instead, convert Mbps to MB/s before comparing.