How Many Internet Service Providers are there in the USA?
There are currently 2575 Internet service providers in the United States:
- 894 DSL “Digital Subscriber Line” providers
- 211 Copper providers (Business T1/T3 connections, etc)
- 448 Cable companies
- 1159 Fiber Internet providers
- 1457 Fixed Wireless Broadband providers
- 54 Mobile Broadband and LTE providers
Internet Service Providers in the USA
As you can see in the table above, there are thousands of Internet service providers, or “ISPs,” in the United States. (This is before even counting unlicensed wireless operators and local overbuilders.)
However, many consumers will find themselves picking between only a handful of providers. In urban areas, it is common to be limited to one Cable provider and one DSL provider. In rural areas, Internet users are often stuck with DSL, Satellite, or nothing at all.
As of 2018, 25 Million Americans don’t have access to any broadband providers offering over 25 Mbps download speed. Even if you count wireless connections like Satellite, there are still 14 Million consumers left without a robust home Internet service option.
How Are Internet Service Providers Counted?
Internet providers are listed on BroadbandNow when they file their biannual Form 477 paperwork with the FCC to confirm basic data like coverage area, subscriber base, and etc. We do not list “cowboy” providers that fail to keep up their paperwork or complete their contribution to the Universal Service Fund (USF) as required by law. In some cases, this may lead to the exclusion of small “overbuilders” that lease infrastructure and fiber from larger providers to serve specific buildings and communities.
Our database of Broadband providers is updated on a biannual basis. In some cases, we are able to update listings and coverage information before data is published on the FCC or other government websites, thanks to direct reporting.