Upstream broadband consumption grew faster than downstream for the third consecutive year in the second quarter of 2026, a divergence that the OpenVault Broadband Insights Report (OVBI) characterized as a structural shift rather than a seasonal blip. The finding anchored the company’s Q2 report, which drew on traffic data from millions of subscribers.

Average upstream usage climbed 19.2% year over year, the fastest pace the report has recorded, while downstream usage growth slowed to 6.1%, a multi-year low. Total average monthly usage reached 711.0 GB, up 7.1% and the smallest second-quarter gain on record as pandemic-era growth continues to normalize. 

Downstream accounted for 652.8 GB of that total and upstream for 58.2 GB. The median household used 482.3 GB, up 11.8%, closing on the average and signaling that growth broadened across the subscriber base.

The OpenVault report attributed the upstream acceleration to structural drivers, including cloud synchronization, always-on connected devices, and AI-assisted workflows that treat the upload path as a primary channel. Upstream’s share of total traffic rose from 5.7% to 8.2% in Q2, and the downstream-to-upstream ratio compressed to 11.2:1, down from 16.6:1 in 2019. 

Provisioning kept pace with demand. As operators deployed mid-split and high-split upgrades, average provisioned upstream speed reached 47.3 Mbps, up 33.7% and nearly five times the downstream speed gain. The report found that fiber subscribers continued to consume more upstream capacity than their cable counterparts, averaging 94.1 GB per month against 58.2 GB for DOCSIS households.

Heavy users represented a growing share of the base. Subscribers exceeding 1 TB per month reached 23.5%, up from roughly 4% in 2019, while those exceeding 2 TB per month rose to 5.9%. As the smallest cohort, subscribers using more than 5 TB expanded 34.2% year over year, the fastest growth of any tier.

The report’s emphasis on upstream capacity mirrored mobile network trends. A recent Ookla study on 5G and AI readiness found that U.S. 5G networks dedicated just 5.1% of throughput to uploads — the lowest of 22 markets studied — at a time when AI applications are pushing more data upstream. 

Together, the reports suggest that upstream capacity, long treated as secondary across both fixed and mobile networks, has become a central planning concern for broadband providers.

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The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission opened a rulemaking proceeding to launch a statewide broadband affordability program that could lower monthly bills for roughly 27,000 low-income households in its first year. The effort, led by the state Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE), stems from Senate Bill 152.

The Low-Income Telecommunications Assistance Program (LITAP) is scheduled to begin December 1. Eligible customers will be able to receive monthly broadband discounts of up to $30, and households on Tribal lands up to $70, according to the Commission. The OBAE said the program is intended to help residents stay connected to education, telehealth, workforce training, and public safety services.

The broadband affordability program’s funding will come from New Mexico’s State Rural Universal Service Fund, which supports telecommunications and broadband service in rural, insular, and high-cost areas of the state. The program is backed by $10 million in its first year, and the Commission may authorize up to $45 million annually in later years. State officials said more than 100,000 households could eventually benefit.

Under the proposed rules, broadband providers that hold eligible telecommunications carrier status would notify customers that the discounts are available and verify income eligibility through the Federal Communications Commission’s National Verifier database. Providers would then apply the savings directly to customer bills and seek reimbursement from the fund.

OBAE Director Jeff Lopez said the broadband affordability program “will help address affordability challenges faced by New Mexico families,” adding that qualifying households would gain a new resource to remain connected once enrollment opens. Commissioner Patrick O’Connell said the proceeding turns the access and affordability provisions of Senate Bill 152 into working policy.

The Commission set a public comment window for the proposed broadband affordability program rules, with written initial comments due September 11 and responsive comments due September 21. The OBAE said it plans to file its own recommendations ahead of the deadlines. Under the enabling legislation, the Commission must finalize the rules by January 1, 2027.

New Mexico is the first state to establish its own replacement for the discontinued federal Affordable Connectivity Program, the OBAE said. That program helped more than 180,000 New Mexico residents afford service before its funding lapsed in 2024. The broadband affordability program was introduced by Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla and cosponsored by Representatives Pamelya Herndon and Debra Sariñana. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the bill into law in March.

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The City of Westerville, Ohio, and altafiber have formed a public-private partnership to bring a multigig fiber network to the community without the city spending capital dollars on the infrastructure, according to a joint announcement. Construction is expected to begin this summer, with altafiber aiming to reach residents within three years.

Under the public-private partnership, altafiber will establish a long-term presence at WeConnect, the city-owned data center, allowing it to serve local customers while opening a new revenue stream for the municipal facility. The company and the city also plan to coordinate on underground fiber placement in select areas to moderate excavation costs. 

altafiber plans to build to roughly 15,000 addresses in and around Westerville. Once the three-year project is finished, residents will have broadband access capable of supporting remote work, online education, and telehealth, the partners said. The network uses altafiber’s multigig XGS-PON fiber technology and offers symmetrical speeds up to 6 Gbps.

Westerville City Manager Monica Dupee said the partnership addresses residents’ need for fiber while drawing on the city’s earlier infrastructure investments. The city found a way to proceed “without a multi-million-dollar investment,” she said, describing high-speed internet as a necessity for daily life.

altafiber Chief Operating Officer Greg Wheeler said the company was pleased to share in a public-private partnership with Westerville. He tied fiber access to local economic development, including business retention and job attraction.

altafiber, the operating name for Cincinnati Bell in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, has invested more than $1.5 billion in its Midwest fiber network. The provider is extending its fiber-to-the-home footprint across Ohio, including in Fayette, Franklin, Montgomery, Greene, and Union counties. 

The Westerville agreement follows other Ohio expansions by the company. Earlier this year, altafiber brought 6GB speeds to roughly 32,600 addresses in Grove City and Marysville, Ohio, forming a public-private partnership with the City of Dublin to reach about 17,000 addresses.

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PALMER, Alaska – Federal broadband funding is beginning to move from award announcements into deployment, and Matanuska Telecom Association is one of the providers preparing to turn that investment into fiber infrastructure in a uniquely difficult market.

MTA has secured a $108 million Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) award to help extend fiber broadband to more than 10,000 homes and businesses across its service area. The award comes as the cooperative continues to build capacity, strengthen network operations, and prepare for the next stage of rural broadband deployment in Alaska.

The national BEAD program represents a $42.45 billion federal investment in broadband infrastructure for unserved and underserved communities. In Alaska, the practical challenges are sharper than in many lower-48 markets: long distances, difficult terrain, permitting complexity, severe weather, short construction windows, and high deployment costs.

MTA’s recent work shows the scale of the build already underway. In 2025, the cooperative deployed 153 miles of fiber, upgraded 4,000 locations, and improved network capacity for more than 31,000 connections. The goal is broader fiber access across the Mat-Su, with networks built for residential demand as well as business, public safety, education, healthcare, and economic development needs.

“Building out a fiber network to every single home in our network is the end game,” said Demian Voiles, Chief Executive Officer of MTA. “The Mat-Su is growing quickly, and connectivity has to grow with it.”

Voiles moved into the CEO role as MTA prepared for this next stage of network growth. He has framed the moment as a chance for MTA to take a larger role in Alaska telecommunications by pairing public broadband investment with local technical expertise, field experience, and service operations built for Alaska conditions.

Operational performance will matter as much as construction. In 2025, MTA resolved 93.66% of residential tickets and 88.5% of business tickets within a day. It also handled more than 57,000 inbound calls with average wait times of about 10 seconds. MTA’s local, 24-hour support center in Palmer, Alaska gives the cooperative a customer and technical support model based in the same region where much of the network expansion is happening.

MTA is also investing in the workforce side of broadband expansion. The cooperative’s Youth Technology Tour brought more than 120 students into MTA in 2025 for hands-on exposure to engineering, IT, marketing, construction, finance, and other technology-connected career paths. Through the MTA Foundation and community sponsorships, MTA directed more than $300,000 into local giving, including nearly $95,000 in scholarships and more than $100,000 in grants to organizations across its service area.

In 2025, MTA also received recognition for work tied to cybersecurity, customer experience, community outreach, health and safety, and support for Guard and Reserve members.

“We are ready to stand up and take a bigger role in telecom in the state of Alaska,” Voiles said.

For technology and telecommunications audiences, the larger question is execution: how regional providers can turn federal broadband dollars into durable infrastructure in expensive, hard-to-reach markets. Alaska raises the stakes, with geography, weather, workforce availability, and future bandwidth demand all shaping what deployment success looks like.

MTA’s next phase will focus on fiber deployment, strategic partnerships, workforce readiness, and practical technology investments that expand access and improve reliability across Alaska’s growing communities.

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YORK, Maine (July 23, 2026) — Building on its strong and expanding presence throughout Maine, GoNetspeed has begun connecting its first York customers to its 100% Fiber-optic Internet service. The milestone represents a major step in the company’s $5 million investment in the community, bringing residents and businesses access to a new Internet choice while construction continues expanding service to more than 4,800 locations across York.

As construction progresses throughout York, even more homes and businesses will become eligible for service in the coming months. York residents and businesses can check service availability, sign up for updates, and learn more about GoNetspeed’s expansion by visiting gonetspeed.com/me/York.

“From York to communities across Maine, we’re seeing residents ask for more from their Internet provider and more choice in the marketplace,” said Richard Clark, GoNetspeed President and CEO. “Connecting our first customers in York marks another important milestone as we continue expanding our fiber network throughout the state. We’re proud to bring residents and businesses a new option built on reliable fiber connectivity, transparent service, and an experience designed around their needs.”

GoNetspeed continues to ensure more communities throughout Maine’s southern coast have access to a high-speed, 100% Fiber Internet infrastructure, including the town of Kittery closely following York’s progress. The town of York now joins more than 30 communities throughout Maine in connecting to GoNetspeed’s service, including Biddeford, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Lewiston, Ogunquit, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Saco and Wells.

With a legacy of innovation and a commitment to customer service, GoNetspeed is accelerating the expansion of its fiber networks across 11 states, including Maine. The company continues to deliver more fiber, more access, more speed, and greater reliability to residents and businesses throughout its footprint. Powered by a 100% fiber-optic network, customers gain access to symmetrical upload and download speeds ranging from 500 Mbps to 6 Gbps. Learn more about GoNetspeed at gonetspeed.com.

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In its July meeting today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed broadband-related measures that seek to improve Commission processes with national security and consumer advocacy implications. These measures all passed unanimously.

Simplifying broadband comparison shopping

The FCC established its broadband labels requirement in 2022, at Congress’s direction, to be a comparative shopping tool to allow consumers to quickly look up the speed, latency, rates and other characteristics of all available data plans. Broadband providers have been required to display the label at the point of sale and on their websites.

The Report and Order adopted today streamlines the labels to remove outdated information and simplify some of the information on the labels. “When labels become cluttered with unnecessary details and information, they stop being the quick, easy-to-use shopping tool that Congress envisioned,” Carr said.

Perhaps the most noteworthy change the FCC made allows customer service representatives to describe the information contained on the labels in a “conversational” manner, rather than reading the broadband label content verbatim. Commissioner Gomez emphasized that “phone calls remain categorized as a point of sale,” and that the important plan details will continue to be available over the phone.

Writing a new satellite licensing rulebook

Chairman Carr said that regulators usually “tinker around the edges” of their rulebooks, but that the changes needed for satellite licensing require more aggressive action.  “We’re scrapping our old rules in their entirety and replacing them with better new ones,” he said. In a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC eliminated its Part 25 rules and established a new Part 100. 

The FCC characterized the new rules as a “licensing assembly line,” meant to allow SpaceX, Amazon, and other developers of low-earth orbit satellite constellations to gain rapid approval for the satellites that power their broadband networks.

“For too long, legacy rules adopted under the Commission’s Part 25 regulatory framework has operated as a patchwork of requirements that no longer reflects the pace or complexity of today’s satellite industry or the space economy writ large,” said Olivia Trusty, who praised Part 100 because it actively greater participation in the satellite industry by cutting red tape.

Additional measures to block robocalls

The Commission proposed fortifying its established Robocall Mitigation Database to block bad actors from transmitting illegal calls. The database is a system for voice service providers to store important information about robocall mitigation and coordinate with other providers. A Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking offers additional steps to stay ahead of bad actors, in part by cracking down on noncompliant voice providers.

“We’ve been taking a new approach to combating such calls by tackling the problem at every point in the call path. That means holding every provider involved in carrying a call accountable from origination to termination,” Carr said.

C-band spectrum auction

The FCC also cleared 160 MHz of spectrum in the Upper C-band (3.98–4.2 GHz) for auction in the short term. Full coverage of the FCC discussion around the wireless broadband spectrum auction is found in a partner article.

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During its July monthly meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cleared 160 MHz of spectrum in the Upper C-band (3.98–4.2 GHz) for auction in the short term. Clearing C-band and other midband frequencies in recent years has been a high priority for the Commission, which seeks to open capacity to meet the growing demand for mobile services. 

Chairman Brendan Carr noted that the FCC cleared a similarly large amount of lower C-band spectrum during the first Trump administration. “Now the upper C band, which sits right next door, will unify the two bands to create an enormous swath of 440 MHz,” he said. “This harmonized super band will be the envy of the world. Freeing up the spectrum drives down prices for consumers, raises speeds, and enhances competition.”

The FCC’s spectrum authority lapsed for years before restoration in 2025 in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The same act set July 2027 to complete a lower C-band auction. “Thanks to the early and close collaboration with the FCC’s federal partners across the administration, including the [Federal Aviation Administration], we are delivering on time, on budget, and with no surprises,” Carr said.

Adoption of the extensive Report and Order, Order of Proposed Modification, and Order on Reconsideration required months of close coordination with the FAA, which will require retrofits of radio altimeter devices on aircraft operating on adjacent channels with the future C-band licensees. Following the auction, the Commission estimates users will be able to begin operating in the upper C-band in 2030.

In June, the FCC received more than $3.5 billion in winning bids on AWS-3 (1695–1710 MHz; 1755–1780 MHz, and 2155–2180 MHz) licenses during at the completion of the first spectrum auction since regaining authority. Carr, during a recent conference in Washington, estimated the much larger-scale upper C-band auction could attract up to $60 billion in bids.

The Commission adopted the order with Commissioner Anna Gomez dissenting in part over the omission of an upper C-band Tribal licensing window. “The unique legal framework and relationship between the federal government and tribal nations requires us to ensure that they have a fair and meaningful opportunity to secure spectrum that is essential to their economic development, public safety, and cultural preservation,” she said.

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The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has passed S.4448, the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act of 2026, out of committee.

The bill has a long way to go. But if it becomes law, it would significantly amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

The Accelerating Broadband Permits Act introduces a system for tracking progress and permits, which would include information on things like the amount of grant funds received, the number of locations ,and the number and locations at which broadband has been utilized.

According to Congress.gov, the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act would establish a dashboard that would identify the relevant federal permit requirements for each subgrantee, track the progress of each, and track progress in other ways. The dashboard also would introduce data controls and require analysis and reports on delay factors. Finally, the bill would change the way minimum broadband project costs are reported. 

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association weighed in on the bill’s passage out of committee. “Persistent permitting barriers continue to harm communities nationwide by delaying and increasing the cost of broadband deployment,” said NTCA CEO Mike Romano. 

“These barriers are often the result of permitting processes that are inefficient, outdated, or simply not working as intended… The Accelerating Broadband Permits Act is an important step in the right direction to address excessive delays and their attendant costs that impede deployment and modernization of broadband infrastructure.” 

 Kathryn de Wit, director of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ broadband access initiative, also lauded the bill’s passage out of committee. “Notably, the bill requires that NTIA publish the rich data it receives from states through the semi-annual report process within 90 days,” de Wit said in a statement.

“This transparency will allow Congress and others to gain timely insight into the program’s progress and impact — from where dollars are being spent, to the status of construction projects, and when households are connected — and will strengthen lawmakers’ ability to ensure that BEAD can meet its four-year construction deadlines and deliver on the ambitious goal of universal service.   

The Accelerating Broadband Permits Act is evidence that cutting red tape is a popular topic in Washington, D.C. these days. 

Early last month, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr proposed rules to eliminate regulations that stand in the way of modern, high-speed wireline infrastructure.

The Senate has been active as well, with the recent passage of the Modernization, Accountability, and Planning for Broadband Funding Act. The bill, which is an effort to study and, if necessary, improve oversight in federal funding for broadband infrastructure, now goes to the House of Representatives.

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There have been more than 18,000 attacks on the communications infrastructure affecting more than 11.8 million broadband customers over the last several years, according to a new report from a coalition of industry associations including ACA Connects, CTIA, NCTA–The Rural Broadband Association, NTCA–The Internet and Television Association, USTelecom–The Broadband Association, and WIA.

State and local governments recognize the threat, with at least 23 states introducing legislation regarding the threat of attacks and 13 states passing laws strengthening protections for critical broadband and communications infrastructure.

States with the most incidents in 2025 were California (6,297), Texas (2,428) and Missouri (1,030).

According to the report, the legislation tends to focus on:

• Expanding critical infrastructure definitions to clearly include communications networks
• Increasing penalties for intentional damage to communications networks
• Strengthening scrap metal (stolen copper is a huge issue) transaction requirements, including seller identification, transaction records, and documentation of restricted materials

There is federal action as well with HR 2784, the Stopping Theft and Destruction of Broadband Act of 2025. The intention of the legislation is to amend current federal law to make it a criminal offense to willfully or maliciously damage privately owned critical communications infrastructure. According to the press release announcing the report, if passed, the law would close the loophole leaving non-government networks unprotected.

“Effective long-term migration will depend on a combination of strengthened laws, improved oversight, deeper collaboration across sectors, and enhanced penalties,” the press release about broadband infrastructure attacks said.

The associations that assembled the broadband infrastructure attacks report recommend the following priorities for policy makers:

• Strengthening scrap metal regulation
• Continuing to harmonize state laws
• Improving coordination across industry, law enforcement, municipalities, and policymakers
• Prioritizing law enforcement and prosecution
• Enhancing penalties

AT&T addressed the issue of copper theft in a blog article earlier this year. In the post, Rahdeese Alcutt, lead investigator for AT&T global security, noted that the company’s losses due to copper theft exceeded $82 million last year, with more than 7,300 copper theft incidents in California alone, resulting in losses exceeding $54 million.

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T-Mobile had the highest consumer sentiment score in Ookla’s Speedtest ratings for the first half of the 2026, according to a report released today. It scored 3.77 out of a possible 5 points. Verizon was second at 3.25 and AT&T third at 3.09.

The Ookla U.S. Connectivity Report is based on Speedtest process that combines download and upload performance reported by millions of consumer-initiative tests and extensive quality of service metrics.  

The tests generally focused on networks overall and 5G-only assessments.

T-Mobile earned honors as the top mobile network overall in the Ookla report, with a Speedtest score of 80.12. It was followed by Verizon at 74.12 and AT&T at 72.82. T-Mobile also had the top 5G network score at 73.52, followed by Verizon at 68.82 and AT&T at 66.16.

Ookla found that the fastest mobile network for download speed test was T-Mobile at 73.49. It was followed by Verizon at 65.33 and AT&T at 65.21. The fast 5G network was T-Mobile at 58.39, followed by Verizon at 51.65 and AT&T at 49.18.

T-Mobile had the most consistent overall network with 89.7% of connections achieving the 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload threshold. Verizon was next at 87.1% and AT&T at 83.8%. 

In the 5G only category, Ookla found that T-Mobile was tops again at 79.3%, meeting the 5 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload threshold 79.3% of the time. Verizon was next at 77.4% and AT&T was third at 69.6%.

Verizon held the highest U.S. coverage at 30.4%. It was followed by AT&T at 26.8% and T-Mobile at 24.8%.

The SpeedTest winner for 5G availability within its footprint was Verizon at 92.6%. It was followed by AT&T at 89.4% and T-Mobile at 67.7%.

Ookla found that T-Mobile provided the best video streaming score at 78.84. It was followed by Verizon at 73.38 and AT&T at 70.69. It was followed by Verizon at 73.28 and AT&T at 70,69. The 5G video streaming experience category was won by T-Mobile at 80.75. It was followed by Verizon at 76.27 and AT&T 73.09.

T-Mobile was best for gamers at 85.52. It was followed by Verizon at 83.90 and AT&T at 83.27. The 5G gaming experience category also was won by T-Mobile with a score of 85.93. It was closely followed by Verzion at 85.33 and AT&T at 83.86.

Ookla said their Speedtest Connectivity Score “provides a reliable measure of the overall mobile network connected experience based on a combination of Speed Score, as well as Scores for Web Browsing and Video Streaming.”

One year ago, the story was similar; Ookla found that T-Mobile had the best overall network for the first half of 2025.

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