Alabama internet, where fiber doubled and some counties still wait
Fiber is available at 66.4% of the 2,206,378 homes and businesses the FCC counts in Alabama, and wired broadband of at least 100/20 Mbps at 90.2%. 52.8% of locations have a choice of two or more wired providers at that speed; at 37.5% there is only one.1
FCC National Broadband Map, availability as of June 30, 2026 (data revised November 10, 2026), as reported by providers.
South region, East South Central division
Fiber was reported at 32.2%2 of Alabama's homes and businesses in June 2022 and at 66.4%1 four years later, a faster rise than in most states. Proportionally, though, Alabama still has more unserved locations than most states: in a scattered set of rural counties, from Sumter on the Mississippi line to Cleburne on the Georgia line, reliable service has not reached a large share of homes and businesses.
Who reports home internet service in Alabama
As of June 30, 2026 (FCC revision of November 10, 2026), 64 providers report terrestrial home internet somewhere in Alabama, 54 of them over a wire, across the state's 2.2 million1 broadband serviceable locations. "Report" is the right word: a provider lists a location as served if it could connect it within ten business days for a standard installation, and anyone can challenge the listing on the FCC map.
The providers with the widest reach are not wired ones. T-Mobile reports service at 65.9% of locations and Verizon at 60.4%, nearly all of it 5G and other licensed fixed wireless, but they offer 100/20 Mbps at only 21.7% and 24.4% of locations. AT&T, which reports service at 63.5%, mixes three technologies: it reports fiber at 32.3%1 of the state's locations, the largest fiber footprint of any major provider here, and still lists DSL across much of the rest.
| T-Mobile | Fiber Licensed wireless | 65.9% | 21.7% | 5 Gbps | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Fiber DSL Licensed wireless | 63.5% | 33.9% | 5 Gbps | 1.2% |
| Verizon | Licensed wireless | 60.4% | 24.4% | 1 Gbps | – |
| Spectrum | Fiber Cable | 43.3% | 43.3% | 1 Gbps | 14.5% |
| Xfinity | Fiber Cable | 18.6% | 18.6% | 2 Gbps | 3.7% |
| Brightspeed | Fiber DSL Fixed wireless | 12.3% | 5.4% | 8 Gbps | 0.2% |
| WOW! | Fiber Cable DSL | 11.6% | 11.4% | 5 Gbps | 0.2% |
| Mediacom | Fiber Cable Licensed wireless | 10.7% | 10.6% | 5 Gbps | 3.3% |
| C Spire | Fiber Cable | 7.2% | 7.2% | 10 Gbps | 1.3% |
| Sparklight | Fiber Cable | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 Gbps | 1.2% |
| Google Fiber | Fiber | 3.2% | 3.2% | 8 Gbps | – |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Share of the area's broadband serviceable locations where the provider reports service as of June 30, 2026. "Only wired option" is the share of locations where it is the single wired provider at 100/20 Mbps. Provider-reported and challengeable; speeds are advertised maximums, not measured; no prices. Satellite providers (HughesNet, Starlink, Viasat) report service at nearly every location and are left out of the table.
Spectrum is the main cable network, at 43.3% of locations, and the provider that most often stands alone: at 14.5% of the state's locations it is the only one offering 100/20 Mbps over a wire. Xfinity (18.6%), WOW! (11.6%) and Mediacom (10.7%1) hold most of the other cable territory.
Two fiber builders are concentrated in a few cities. C Spire reports service at 7.2% of the state's locations but at 26.9% of those in Tuscaloosa and 26.3% in Montgomery. Google Fiber reports 3.2% statewide and 86.3% in Huntsville. Brightspeed, which did not appear in the June 2022 data, now reports service at 12.3% of locations, with fiber at 5.4%1.
HughesNet, Starlink and Viasat report satellite service at virtually every location in the state, so they are left out of the coverage figures above.
Fiber's four-year jump
In the first National Broadband Map, with data as of June 30, 2022, Alabama trailed the country on fiber: 32.2% of locations against 37.2% nationally. By June 30, 2026 the state's share had reached 66.4%, above the national 62.6%. The rise of 34.2 percentage points ranks tied for 10th highest among the states; the national share rose by 25.4 percentage points. The number of companies reporting fiber in Alabama went from 372 to 481.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2022; FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of December 31, 2025; FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Shares of broadband serviceable locations in each FCC release (latest revision of each); the small number is the change in percentage points since June 30, 2022. The FCC's count of locations is updated with each release, so shares are compared rather than counts.
Show the numbers
| Measure | June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2025 | June 30, 2026 | Change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber available | 32.2% | 62.7% | 66.4% | 34.2 pts |
| Gigabit (1,000/100) | 30.7% | 65.2% | 68.1% | 37.4 pts |
| Wired 100/100 Mbps | 31.2% | 65.5% | 68.4% | 37.2 pts |
| Wired 100/20 Mbps | 76.7% | 88.5% | 90.2% | 13.6 pts |
| DSL available | 54.2% | 48.4% | 46.7% | −7.4 pts |
Faster tiers followed the fiber. Gigabit service (1,000/100 Mbps) is now offered at 68.1% of locations, against 30.7% in 2022, and symmetric 100/100 Mbps over a wire grew by 37.2 percentage points to 68.4%. Wired 100/20 coverage rose by 13.6 percentage points, the 5th highest gain among the states, and between December 31, 2025 and June 30, 2026 its increase of 1.8 percentage points was the highest of any state. Copper is receding: DSL was reported at 54.2%2 of locations in 2022 and at 46.7%1 now.
Where the new fiber went
The gain was spread unevenly. In 16 of Alabama's 674 counties, the fiber share rose by 50 percentage points or more in four years. The largest jump was in Russell County, on the Georgia line: +85.2 percentage points, to 99.1%. Its largest provider by reach is Cable TV of East Alabama, which reports fiber or cable at 99.0%1 of the county's locations.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. Darker counties are higher. Point at a county for its value; the county table has every figure. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
Other large gains came in Houston County, around Dothan (+67.2 percentage points, to 78.4%), and in Cullman County (+57.5 percentage points, to 89.7%), where Sprout Fiber Internet reports service at 75.3% of locations. Some places had little room to grow. Marion County, in the northwest, has fiber at 100.0% of its locations, the highest share in the state, yet its change since 2022, +0.5 percentage points, is the smallest of any county: it was already near the top. Freedom Fiber reports service at 100.0% of its locations. Huntsville's fiber share, 92.8%, changed by +4.6 percentage points1 over the four years.
Among the cities with their own pages, Birmingham has the lowest fiber share, 53.5% of its locations, against 60.7% in Montgomery, 79.3% in Mobile and 75.8%1 in Tuscaloosa. The Birmingham page lists every provider there.
Counties still without reliable service
Unserved, in the BEAD program's definition, means no reliable wired or licensed fixed wireless service of at least 25/3 Mbps. In Alabama that share fell from 15.0%2 in 2022 to 4.5%, or 98,853 locations. The decline of 10.6 percentage points was among the steepest of any state, yet the share left over is still the 9th highest in the country, against 2.4% nationally. Another 56,9551 locations are underserved, with reliable service below 100/20 Mbps.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. Darker counties have larger gaps. Point at a county for its value; the county table has every figure. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
What remains is concentrated in small rural counties, and not in one region. Sumter County, on the western border, has the highest unserved share, 49.3% of its 6,948 locations, and fiber at only 2.8%. Perry County (48.0%) and Wilcox County (45.7%) follow; in Wilcox virtually no location has two wired providers at 100/20 Mbps. On the opposite side of the state, Cleburne County is unserved at 43.3% of locations. Conecuh County, in the south, has the least fiber of any county, 0.6%; there, fixed wireless is the only 100/20 option at 18.3% of locations, and the fixed wireless provider Dragonfly Internet reports service at 30.4%1.
Satellite-only locations grew
Most coverage measures improved between 2022 and 2026; one moved the other way. The share of locations where no wired or fixed wireless provider reports service, leaving only satellite, went from 0.5% to 1.9%, or 40,901 locations. That is the 8th highest share among the states; nationally it is 0.8%. Over the same period licensed fixed wireless coverage fell from 86.2%2 to 81.6%1 of locations. The FCC data record both shifts; they do not explain them.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
Show the numbers
| Area | Satellite only |
|---|---|
| Perry County | 33.2% |
| Sumter County | 32.6% |
| Wilcox County | 25.8% |
| Conecuh County | 23.2% |
| Alabama | 1.9% |
| United States | 0.8% |
In Perry County satellite is the only reported option at 33.2% of locations, and in Sumter County at 32.6%1. For a specific address in these counties, the FCC map lists every provider that reports service there.
How many wired choices Alabamians have
Coverage is one question, competition another. Two or more wired providers offer 100/20 Mbps at 52.8% of Alabama locations, against 55.6% nationally; exactly one does at 37.5%, and none at 9.8%. The share with two or more rose by 21.2 percentage points since 2022. Two separate fiber networks reach 13.0%1 of locations.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Different wired providers (fiber, cable or DSL; FCC provider IDs) reporting 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up or more at the same location. Fixed wireless and satellite are not counted.
Show the numbers
| Area | None | One | Two | Three or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9.8% | 37.5% | 38.6% | 14.2% |
| United States | 7.8% | 36.6% | 44.6% | 11.1% |
The spread between counties is wide. In Madison County, home to Huntsville, 89.0% of locations have at least two wired choices; in Huntsville itself the figure is 95.3% and in Montgomery 92.2%. Only 20 of the 674 counties reach half. In Baldwin County on the Gulf Coast, the share is 56.9%1.
Alabama's BEAD plan
Alabama received $1.40 billion from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, an allocation that ranks 7th highest5 among the states, but the construction it pays for is mid-sized. The approved Final Proposal funds 94,555 locations (15th highest) with $464.3 million of BEAD money, about $4,910 per location, and the winning providers put in $427.6 million6 of their own. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs publishes the plan and its documents on its BEAD program page.
Source: NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs. Locations in the state's approved BEAD Final Proposal by technology of the selected projects, as printed in NTIA's Final Proposal overview; subject to NTIA and NIST final review and award.
Show the numbers
| Technology | Share of BEAD locations |
|---|---|
| Fiber | 70.3% |
| Cable | 4.6% |
| Fixed wireless | 0.0% |
| Low-Earth-orbit satellite | 25.1% |
Fiber is assigned to 66,483 locations (70.3%), low-Earth-orbit satellite to 23,732 (25.1%) and cable to 4.6%; no locations went to fixed wireless. $937.0 million6 of the allocation is not assigned to construction in the plan, and its use was not settled as of November 2026.
BEAD is not the first program here. Alabama's Capital Projects Fund allocation from the Treasury is $191.9 million7, and USAC records 57,086 locations built with Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support, with $94.6 million8 disbursed.
| Program | Amount | As of |
|---|---|---|
| BEAD allocation (NTIA, announced June 26, 2023) | $1,401,221,902 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: locations to be connected | 94,555 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: deployment cost | $464,262,346 | |
| BEAD cost per location | $4,910 | |
| BEAD allocation not assigned to deployment | $936,959,556 | |
| Treasury Capital Projects Fund allocation | $191,887,857 | |
| RDOF: locations built with support (cumulative) | 57,086 | |
| USDA ReConnect grants reported to USAspending | $24,781,800 | |
| Lifeline subscribers claimed | 57,911 | |
| Lifeline participation rate | 16.8% | |
| Households in the Affordable Connectivity Program, February 2024 | 413,668 |
Source: NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Award Recipients pages; NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs; Department of the Treasury, Capital Projects Fund Awards Made to States, Territories, and Freely Associated States, to date; USAC, CAF Disbursements and Locations Data; Department of the Treasury, spending_by_award API for Assistance Listings 10.752; Universal Service Administrative Co., Lifeline Disbursements; USAC, Lifeline participation rate; USAC, ACP Enrollments by County as of February 8, 2024. BEAD figures are as printed in NTIA's Final Proposal overview, subject to final review; "not assigned to deployment" is the allocation minus the deployment cost (NTIA calls it savings; how it may be used is not settled). The ACP stopped taking applications on February 8, 2024 and ended on June 1, 2024.
Low-cost service and who subscribes
The FCC map carries no prices, and no official source publishes typical retail prices for Alabama. What is official: Lifeline, the FCC's monthly discount for low-income households, had 57,91110 Alabama subscribers, and USAC estimates that 16.8%11 of eligible households take part. The Affordable Connectivity Program had 413,66812 Alabama households enrolled when it stopped taking sign-ups in February 2024, about 20.7 per 100 households13; it ended on June 1, 2024.
The Census Bureau's 2025 survey shows the gap between availability and subscription. 92.4% of Alabama households had a broadband subscription of any type (margin of error ±0.4 percentage points), the 10th lowest share among the states, and 15.2% had a smartphone but no desktop, laptop or tablet, the 4th highest share. Income separates households clearly: 80.6% of those earning under $20,000 subscribed (margin of error ±1.6 percentage points), against 97.1%14 of those earning $75,000 or more.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year detailed tables. Availability is a share of locations as of June 30, 2026 (FCC); subscriptions are a share of households from the American Community Survey, 2025 (whiskers: 90% margin of error). Different units and dates: read the gap as a sign, not an exact number.
Show the numbers
| Measure | Share | MOE |
|---|---|---|
| Wired 100/20 Mbps available (FCC, share of locations) | 90.2% | |
| Households subscribing to cable, fiber or DSL (Census) | 72.6% | ±0.4 |
| Households relying only on a cellular data plan | 14.2% | ±0.4 |
| Households with no internet subscription | 7.5% | ±0.4 |
Every Alabama county and city
The table lists all 674 county-equivalents with the measures above. Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and Tuscaloosa have their own pages and appear in the city list below.
| Autauga County | 24,639 | 63.6% | 96.3% | 64.9% | 1.4% | AT&T | 74.9% ±2.6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County | 114,618 | 73.0% | 87.5% | 56.9% | 5.1% | Mediacom | 70.4% ±1.7 |
| Barbour County | 12,505 | 43.4% | 82.1% | 26.1% | 7.0% | Spectrum | 47.9% ±3.7 |
| Bibb County | 9,015 | 57.4% | 57.6% | 11.3% | 27.5% | AT&T | 47.1% ±4.8 |
| Blount County | 26,538 | 49.5% | 81.9% | 18.8% | 5.4% | GoNetspeed | 55.5% ±2.8 |
| Bullock County | 4,849 | 98.7% | 98.7% | 1.1% | 0.9% | Union Springs Telephone Co.,Inc. | 49.1% ±6.9 |
| Butler County | 10,175 | 53.4% | 64.6% | 34.7% | 22.9% | West Kentucky Rural Telephone Coop Corp Inc | 53.5% ±4.3 |
| Calhoun County | 52,338 | 54.7% | 93.4% | 50.3% | 4.1% | Sparklight | 65.6% ±2.0 |
| Chambers County | 16,434 | 20.3% | 88.1% | 49.2% | 3.8% | Spectrum | 62.3% ±3.2 |
| Cherokee County | 16,605 | 22.3% | 35.5% | 2.0% | 23.1% | TDS | 51.6% ±4.2 |
| Chilton County | 21,620 | 86.1% | 89.0% | 17.3% | 5.6% | Central Access | 55.9% ±3.8 |
| Choctaw County | 7,692 | 43.3% | 43.3% | 0.1% | 25.2% | TDS | 43.4% ±4.6 |
| Clarke County | 13,029 | 12.4% | 41.7% | 2.3% | 33.6% | AT&T | 38.9% ±3.7 |
| Clay County | 6,951 | 64.5% | 73.8% | 14.2% | 19.1% | Brightspeed | 54.6% ±3.9 |
| Cleburne County | 7,061 | 23.7% | 23.7% | 9.5% | 43.3% | Brightspeed | 37.7% ±5.9 |
| Coffee County | 25,501 | 94.5% | 98.2% | 72.9% | 1.0% | C Spire | 66.6% ±2.0 |
| Colbert County | 28,890 | 61.6% | 94.2% | 49.6% | 2.6% | Xfinity | 60.6% ±2.3 |
| Conecuh County | 7,255 | 0.6% | 25.3% | 0.0% | 40.6% | Mediacom | 27.4% ±4.0 |
| Coosa County | 6,766 | 48.2% | 78.5% | 13.5% | 10.5% | Central Access | 50.9% ±5.5 |
| Covington County | 21,031 | 88.9% | 97.1% | 57.3% | 1.9% | Brightspeed | 57.4% ±2.1 |
| Crenshaw County | 7,843 | 91.6% | 91.6% | 29.3% | 7.4% | C Spire | 49.8% ±3.6 |
| Cullman County | 44,424 | 89.7% | 98.6% | 59.2% | 0.2% | Sprout Fiber Internet | 63.2% ±2.0 |
| Dale County | 21,620 | 92.3% | 97.6% | 71.5% | 0.7% | Brightspeed | 61.7% ±2.7 |
| Dallas County | 18,511 | 10.8% | 71.8% | 1.1% | 15.6% | Spectrum | 43.3% ±3.7 |
| DeKalb County | 34,982 | 77.4% | 91.8% | 18.8% | 3.2% | Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative Inc | 62.6% ±2.4 |
| Elmore County | 38,309 | 65.9% | 95.7% | 49.7% | 1.0% | Spectrum | 78.9% ±1.7 |
| Escambia County | 18,170 | 33.9% | 73.0% | 6.3% | 10.2% | Mediacom | 40.6% ±3.4 |
| Etowah County | 48,821 | 50.2% | 94.3% | 46.4% | 2.6% | Xfinity | 63.8% ±2.0 |
| Fayette County | 8,901 | 95.5% | 95.5% | 25.4% | 3.3% | Freedom Fiber | 54.3% ±4.3 |
| Franklin County | 14,878 | 74.5% | 96.8% | 42.1% | 0.6% | Freedom Fiber | 44.3% ±3.1 |
| Geneva County | 14,382 | 82.7% | 92.7% | 50.7% | 2.5% | Spectrum | 49.3% ±3.1 |
| Greene County | 4,828 | 61.6% | 61.6% | 0.1% | 28.8% | Spectrum | 45.6% ±6.8 |
| Hale County | 7,981 | 36.8% | 65.1% | 4.5% | 18.0% | Spectrum | 43.8% ±5.7 |
| Henry County | 10,875 | 78.9% | 88.8% | 43.4% | 4.6% | Brightspeed | 52.4% ±4.2 |
| Houston County | 49,233 | 78.4% | 96.0% | 78.1% | 0.7% | Brightspeed | 67.9% ±1.0 |
| Jackson County | 25,603 | 98.0% | 99.4% | 40.4% | 0.2% | Spectrum | 71.5% ±2.5 |
| Jefferson County | 255,419 | 67.9% | 96.1% | 66.6% | 0.6% | Spectrum | 76.3% ±0.6 |
| Lamar County | 7,599 | 99.9% | 99.9% | 32.9% | 0.1% | Freedom Fiber | 54.4% ±5.0 |
| Lauderdale County | 42,654 | 62.7% | 95.8% | 47.3% | 1.6% | AT&T | 61.4% ±1.8 |
| Lawrence County | 17,042 | 79.4% | 84.9% | 51.5% | 4.9% | FlashFiber | 54.3% ±3.4 |
| Lee County | 65,207 | 65.8% | 97.0% | 55.6% | 0.9% | AT&T | 74.9% ±1.4 |
| Limestone County | 47,731 | 56.7% | 94.3% | 56.2% | 1.6% | AT&T | 72.3% ±1.6 |
| Lowndes County | 5,208 | 43.7% | 44.5% | 8.6% | 38.4% | West Kentucky Rural Telephone Coop Corp Inc | 44.0% ±5.5 |
| Macon County | 9,651 | 23.7% | 56.4% | 4.9% | 24.3% | Spectrum | 49.4% ±3.5 |
| Madison County | 159,172 | 87.5% | 98.9% | 89.0% | 0.4% | AT&T | 80.5% ±1.0 |
| Marengo County | 9,790 | 42.5% | 79.8% | 3.4% | 11.3% | AT&T | 41.5% ±3.2 |
| Marion County | 14,788 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 41.6% | 0.0% | Freedom Fiber | 59.3% ±3.7 |
| Marshall County | 42,782 | 51.6% | 95.4% | 37.0% | 1.3% | Spectrum | 72.4% ±1.7 |
| Mobile County | 167,359 | 71.8% | 96.2% | 65.6% | 2.0% | AT&T | 66.3% ±1.0 |
| Monroe County | 11,499 | 25.3% | 40.4% | 23.4% | 26.4% | Dragonfly Internet | 41.9% ±3.7 |
| Montgomery County | 90,771 | 61.2% | 96.0% | 82.5% | 0.5% | Spectrum | 75.6% ±1.3 |
| Morgan County | 51,550 | 73.2% | 93.9% | 69.7% | 1.1% | Spectrum | 68.6% ±1.6 |
| Perry County | 5,004 | 39.7% | 39.7% | 1.2% | 48.0% | AT&T | 31.0% ±6.4 |
| Pickens County | 9,957 | 55.2% | 70.1% | 28.8% | 22.0% | Brightspeed | 39.7% ±3.4 |
| Pike County | 15,665 | 92.7% | 92.8% | 8.8% | 5.1% | C Spire | 59.8% ±2.7 |
| Randolph County | 13,954 | 48.3% | 57.6% | 16.0% | 23.6% | Brightspeed | 54.8% ±3.5 |
| Russell County | 24,436 | 99.1% | 99.1% | 25.7% | 0.7% | Cable TV of East Alabama | 54.3% ±2.5 |
| Shelby County | 88,174 | 81.3% | 95.2% | 72.6% | 1.5% | AT&T | 82.3% ±1.0 |
| St. Clair County | 41,459 | 59.6% | 87.8% | 51.6% | 4.8% | Kinetic | 71.2% ±1.8 |
| Sumter County | 6,948 | 2.8% | 35.1% | 0.0% | 49.3% | Mediacom | 38.5% ±5.5 |
| Talladega County | 38,178 | 55.3% | 86.6% | 40.1% | 5.9% | AT&T | 62.1% ±2.2 |
| Tallapoosa County | 23,370 | 25.6% | 90.0% | 14.4% | 3.6% | Spectrum | 62.3% ±2.9 |
| Tuscaloosa County | 76,094 | 60.5% | 93.5% | 54.1% | 2.8% | AT&T | 71.8% ±1.4 |
| Walker County | 32,118 | 20.9% | 72.5% | 10.1% | 10.6% | Spectrum | 56.3% ±2.6 |
| Washington County | 9,662 | 45.6% | 51.5% | 1.0% | 35.3% | Millry Communications | 52.5% ±5.0 |
| Wilcox County | 5,473 | 14.5% | 32.7% | 0.0% | 45.7% | Mediacom | 35.2% ±4.6 |
| Winston County | 14,791 | 91.8% | 93.3% | 43.9% | 4.4% | Freedom Fiber | 48.9% ±3.9 |
| Alabama | 2,206,378 | 66.4% | 90.2% | 52.8% | 4.5% | 67.9% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables. Shares of broadband serviceable locations as of June 30, 2026 (FCC). 2+ wired choices: two or more wired providers at 100/20 Mbps. Unserved: BEAD definition. Largest wired provider: reports fiber, cable or DSL at the most locations. Wired subscription: households with a cable, fiber or DSL subscription, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (± 90% margin of error).
| Huntsville | 233,627 | 92.8% | 98.6% | 95.3% | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 200,824 | 79.3% | 88.4% | 80.6% | 5 |
| Birmingham | 195,893 | 53.5% | 53.5% | 54.6% | 8 |
| Montgomery | 195,300 | 60.7% | 60.7% | 92.2% | 5 |
| Tuscaloosa | 114,316 | 75.8% | 87.6% | 76.1% | 3 |
| Hoover | 93,550 | 90.4% | 90.4% | 85.1% | 4 |
| Auburn | 85,113 | 46.9% | 46.9% | 76.2% | 5 |
| Dothan | 72,060 | 89.4% | 89.1% | 93.7% | 5 |
| Madison | 67,968 | 73.9% | 92.3% | 87.9% | 4 |
| Decatur | 58,056 | 62.1% | 62.1% | 76.6% | 3 |
| Florence | 42,581 | 59.8% | 75.0% | 61.8% | 2 |
| Prattville | 40,582 | 46.2% | 46.2% | 90.8% | 4 |
| Phenix City | 38,344 | 99.8% | 99.8% | 30.8% | 2 |
| Vestavia Hills | 38,306 | 95.4% | 95.4% | 93.9% | 4 |
| Opelika | 35,765 | 99.9% | 99.9% | 93.7% | 3 |
| Alabaster | 34,748 | 88.1% | 88.1% | 85.5% | 3 |
| Athens | 34,209 | 54.9% | 54.9% | 79.4% | 3 |
| Gadsden | 33,367 | 48.2% | 88.0% | 49.3% | 2 |
| Northport | 31,648 | 73.0% | 82.3% | 76.8% | 4 |
| Daphne | 31,396 | 90.2% | 90.8% | 89.0% | 4 |
| Enterprise | 31,211 | 97.3% | 97.3% | 95.8% | 4 |
| Foley | 30,354 | 96.2% | 96.2% | 77.8% | 5 |
| Homewood | 28,118 | 87.4% | 87.4% | 84.8% | 4 |
| Trussville | 27,273 | 66.7% | 61.7% | 62.8% | 7 |
| Fairhope | 26,625 | 93.9% | 94.8% | 89.4% | 4 |
| Pelham | 25,664 | 80.6% | 80.6% | 73.5% | 3 |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates; Census Bureau, 2020 Census Block Assignment Files. Shares of broadband serviceable locations inside city limits (2020 census blocks), as of June 30, 2026. Population: July 1, 2025 estimate. Gigabit: 1,000/100 Mbps.
Alabama internet questions
Which internet providers serve the most of Alabama?
Leaving out the three satellite networks, which report service almost everywhere, the widest reach belongs to T-Mobile (65.9% of locations), AT&T (63.5%) and Verizon (60.4%), much of it through 5G and other licensed fixed wireless. Among wired networks, Spectrum reaches 43.3% of locations and AT&T reports fiber at 32.3%1. These are reported coverage shares as of June 30, 2026, not a judgment of quality.
How many Alabama homes and businesses lack broadband?
The FCC counts homes and businesses as locations, not people. As of June 30, 2026, 98,853 of them (4.5%) had no reliable wired or licensed fixed wireless service at 25/3 Mbps, the BEAD test for unserved, and 56,9551 more had reliable service below 100/20 Mbps. The shares are highest in Sumter, Perry and Wilcox counties in the Black Belt, where close to half of all locations are unserved.
How much BEAD money does Alabama get?
Alabama received $1.40 billion, the 7th highest5 allocation. The approved plan spends $464.3 million on 94,555 locations, 70.3% of them fiber and the rest mostly satellite, and leaves $937.0 million6 unassigned.
Is there low-cost internet in Alabama?
The FCC map has no prices. The federal Lifeline discount still exists, but USAC estimates that only 16.8%11 of eligible Alabama households are enrolled. The Affordable Connectivity Program, which had 413,66812 Alabama households enrolled in February 2024, ended on June 1, 2024. Each provider's broadband facts label lists its current plans and prices.
Checking one address in Alabama
The figures on this page describe the whole area. Which providers report service at a single home or apartment is shown only on the FCC's own map: search the address at broadbandmap.fcc.gov. If a provider is listed there but cannot actually connect you within ten business days, or the location is missing or misplaced, the map has a button to file a challenge; providers must respond, and corrections flow into later releases. Prices and plans are not part of the FCC data: each provider must show them on its broadband facts label at the point of sale.
More on internet in and around Alabama
Large cities with their own page: Huntsville, Mobile, Birmingham, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.
Neighboring states: Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Put Alabama side by side with any state or large city in the comparison tool.
| Ranking | Value | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber internet availability by state | 66.4% | 26th of 51 |
| Internet speed by state: where gigabit service is offered | 68.1% | 35th of 51 |
| Broadband coverage by state | 90.2% | 33rd of 51 |
| Internet provider competition by state | 52.8% | 29th of 51 |
| Unserved and underserved broadband locations by state | 4.5% | 9th of 51 |
| Where fiber has grown since 2022 | 34.2% | 10th of 51 |
| 5G home internet and licensed fixed wireless by state | 81.6% | 39th of 51 |
| Households with an internet subscription by state | 92.4% | 42nd of 51 |
| BEAD broadband funding by state | 4,910.0% | 24th of 50 |
Sources
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Availability as of June 30, 2026; released November 10, 2026. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2022; Availability as of June 30, 2022; released May 10, 2024. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of December 31, 2025; Availability as of December 31, 2025; released November 3, 2026. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. www2.census.gov
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Award Recipients pages; Allocations announced 2023-06-26; released June 26, 2023. broadbandusa.ntia.gov
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs. broadbandusa.ntia.gov
- Department of the Treasury, Capital Projects Fund Awards Made to States, Territories, and Freely Associated States, to date; Allocations under ARPA sec. 604 (awards announced 2022-06 to 2023). home.treasury.gov
- USAC, CAF Disbursements and Locations Data. opendata.usac.org
- Department of the Treasury, spending_by_award API for Assistance Listings 10.752; Awards with action dates FY2008 to 2026-09-30. api.usaspending.gov
- Universal Service Administrative Co., Lifeline Disbursements; Support months 2018-01 to 2026-09. opendata.usac.org
- USAC, Lifeline participation rate; released August 17, 2026. www.usac.org
- USAC, ACP Enrollments by County as of February 8, 2024; Enrolled households as of 2024-02-08 (Data Month January 2024 file). www.usac.org
- US Internet Map, Our calculation from the sources named in the definition.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year detailed tables; 2025 (calendar-year sample); released October 29, 2026. api.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. api.census.gov
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates; July 1, 2025; released May 14, 2026. www.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2020 Census Block Assignment Files; released December 11, 2020. www2.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.