About 550 municipal broadband networks serve residents in their areas, according to the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Institute for Rural Independence. Portland, Maine. An additional 250 electric cooperatives have introduced or are developing plans to add Internet service to their service areas, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, an Arlington, Va.-based trade group.
Many state agencies, including California, New York, and Seattle, have created searchable websites listing low-cost broadband providers. A more comprehensive national list, searchable by state, is a list of national nonprofits working to make the internet affordable for all, said Diana Rodriguez, vice president of programs and strategy. It is said to be available from EveryoneOn.
EveryoneOn’s search tool lists available internet services by zip code based on financial criteria. Details show the cost, maximum speed, and data limits for each program.
How fast is enough?
Some consumers may not need 100 Mbps. Slower speeds are OK if you have fewer concurrent users and use the Internet for less demanding services, such as email, surfing the Web, or watching standard-definition television. But if you have a large group of people all watching high-definition TV, binging on streaming services, or playing video games, you’re going to need more.
To help you figure out how much speed you need, the FCC offers a broadband speed guide that outlines the type of plan you’re likely to need based on your internet activity.
For households that watch high-definition video on one device while also browsing the web or sending email, the agency recommends a download speed of at least 12 to 25 Mbps. However, if you have a household of four users and all of them watch high-definition video, video conferencing, play games, and listen to music, the lowest available speed must be 25 Mbps. .
It may be underestimating your needs. consumer report Note that just two TVs streaming 4K high-definition content at the same time will require at least 50 Mbps. If one user sends email, another plays video games, and a third streams music, the requirements approach her 100 Mbps.
In 2015, the FCC defined high-speed broadband as a service that provides a minimum of 25 Mbps. However, some consider it outdated.
“We recommend a minimum download speed of 100 Mbps,” says EveryoneOn’s Rodriguez.
