Though some discussion of the Federal Communications Commission’s latest report on U.S. broadband focuses on gaps, the study also shows the amount of progress being made. The study notes that, as of June 2011, 89 percent of all U.S. consumers can buy service of at least 10 Mbps downstream (282 million people).

Some 202 million people, or 64 percent of U.S. consumers, can buy services offering at least 25 Mbps in the downstream direction. About 173 million people can buy services operating at 50 Mbps, representing 55 percent of all U.S. residents.

About 85 million people, or 27 percent of U.S. consumers, can buy services running at 100 Mbps or faster, the FCC (News - Alert) says.

Cable image via Shutterstock.

Verizon is offering up to 300 Mbps/65 Mbps for FiOS, CenturyLink is offering up to 40 Mbps/5 Mbps and Comcast (News - Alert) is preparing 300 Mbps services for areas where it competes directly with Verizon.

Furthermore, DOCSIS 3.0, which is capable of 100 Mbps and even higher speeds, has been deployed to 82 percent of U.S. households, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission says.

Grande now sells 110 Mbps service in its Texas markets.

And yet the FCC (News - Alert) says “we conclude that broadband is not yet being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.” The Commission clearly is referring to the 2.2 million to perhaps six million U.S. homes in isolated and rural regions.

One suspects Exede and HughesNet would take exception to that characterization, since Exede already provides services of up to 12 Mbps to customers, Wildblue sells 5 Mbps, while HughesNet sells 5 Mbps across the continent.

HughesNet also will announce higher-speed services, likely comparable to Exede, sometime in August 2012.

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