What the FCC 100/20 Mbps benchmark means

You will see 100/20 in news stories, funding programs and ads. It sounds like a rule for your plan, but it is a measuring stick for the country. This guide explains who sets it, what the FCC's 2026 report said about it, and how to use it when you compare plans without mistaking it for a promise.

What does 100/20 mean?

The FCC benchmark names a download speed of 100 Mbps and an upload speed of 20 Mbps, each as a minimum. The first number is how fast data comes to you and the second is how fast it goes out. Our guide on download versus upload explains why both are named. A service that reaches a location at or above both numbers counts as advanced telecommunications capability under the FCC's benchmark.

Who sets it, and why?

Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act directs the FCC to report each year on whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely way. In its 2026 report (FCC 26-55, adopted August 13, 2026 and released August 14, 2026) the FCC wrote that it maintains 100/20 Mbps as its benchmark. For mobile service the report uses 5G-NR at 35/3 Mbps.

What did the 2026 report find?

Using data as of June 30, 2025, the FCC found that the number of Americans lacking 100/20 fixed terrestrial service decreased by approximately 23 percent from June 2024 to June 2025, and by approximately 43 percent over two years. For rural areas the decrease over two years was over 44 percent. With satellite counted, the FCC says 100/20 deployment reaches most rural areas, and it concluded that deployment is happening in a reasonable and timely fashion (paragraphs 2 and 3).

Some technology figures from the same report: about 99.7 percent of the population has access to a 100/20 satellite service, yet satellite is only 2.3 percent of fixed broadband connections. About 56 percent have access to 100/20 fixed wireless, which makes up 8.5 percent of connections (paragraphs 28 and 29). Counting fixed wireless raises the rural share with access by over 10 percent.

Does my plan meet 100/20?

The benchmark is about availability in a location, so a plan does not meet it by itself. As advertised maximums, High Desert's plans sit above it: Bronze lists up to 500 Mbps down, Silver up to 800 and Gold up to 1 Gig, each with up to 200 Mbps up (hdiss.net, read 10/15/26). Those are up-to speeds, not a measurement at your address. A speed test on a wired computer tells you what you get, and the test guide shows how.

Why does the benchmark matter for funding?

Programs that decide where to spend public money look at speed thresholds like this to decide which locations are already served. They are not all the same number. The Lifeline program, for instance, sets a minimum service standard of 25/3 Mbps for fixed broadband (USAC, read 10/15/26), which is a program rule and not a statement about High Desert. For Nevada's own build-out and its provisional project list, see our guide on High Speed NV and rural roads.

What does 100/20 not tell me?

It does not tell you the price, the delay, the data allowance, how steady the service is in the evening or whether your own house is reachable. Two services that both clear 100/20 on paper can feel very different. For the pieces the benchmark leaves out, our guides on latency and broadband labels are the next stops.

If you want to know whether a High Desert tower can see your roof, send your address with the check form. A person looks at the path and calls you back, and a technician confirms at the house.