California internet, where cable is everywhere and fiber depends on the phone company
Fiber is available at 47.8% of the 10,289,142 homes and businesses the FCC counts in California, and wired broadband of at least 100/20 Mbps at 93.1%. 49.9% of locations have a choice of two or more wired providers at that speed; at 43.2% there is only one.1
FCC National Broadband Map, availability as of June 30, 2026 (data revised November 10, 2026), as reported by providers.
West region, Pacific division
Almost every address in California can get cable, yet fiber reaches only about half of them, a smaller share than in most states. Whether a neighborhood has fiber depends largely on which phone company serves it, and in 43.2%1 of homes and businesses one wired provider is the only choice at 100/20 Mbps.
Who reports home internet service in California
California has 10.3 million broadband serviceable locations, the FCC's term for each home, apartment building and small business that could be connected. As of June 30, 2026 (data revision of November 10, 2026), 154 companies reported terrestrial service at some of them, the 3rd highest count of any state, and 821 of those use cable, fiber or copper. A location appears on the map when the provider says it could install standard service there within ten business days; it is a filing, and residents can challenge it.
| AT&T | Fiber DSL Licensed wireless | 71.3% | 30.5% | 5 Gbps | 0.5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile | Fiber Licensed wireless | 68.9% | 21.0% | 2 Gbps | – |
| Verizon | Licensed wireless | 55.4% | 24.8% | 1 Gbps | – |
| Spectrum | Fiber Cable | 46.1% | 46.1% | 1 Gbps | 19.0% |
| Xfinity | Fiber Cable | 34.7% | 34.7% | 2 Gbps | 16.6% |
| Frontier | Fiber DSL | 18.3% | 17.7% | 7 Gbps | 0.3% |
| unWired Broadband | Fiber Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 16.9% | 14.8% | 5 Gbps | – |
| Cal.net | Fiber Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 11.6% | 11.6% | 1 Gbps | – |
| Etheric Networks | Fiber Licensed wireless | 9.2% | 9.2% | 300 Mbps | – |
| Cox | Fiber Cable | 7.9% | 7.9% | 2 Gbps | 4.1% |
| Unwired Ltd | Licensed wireless | 7.4% | 7.4% | 250 Mbps | – |
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, Viasat, Starlink) report service at nearly every location and are left out of the table.
The list is ordered by reach, which mixes very different services. AT&T is first because its footprint combines fiber, older DSL lines and fixed wireless, but it offers 100/20 Mbps at only 30.5% of locations. T-Mobile and Verizon follow on the strength of 5G home internet, which counts as licensed fixed wireless. The wired networks that carry most of the state's fast connections come next: Spectrum across much of Southern California and Kern County, Xfinity in the Bay Area, Sacramento and Fresno, and Cox in San Diego County, where it reports service at 62.7%1 of locations. Satellite service from Starlink, HughesNet and Viasat is reported almost everywhere and is left out of the coverage figures on this page.
Cable is the one wire nearly everyone has
Cable reaches 90.5% of California's locations, the 8th highest share in the country and well above the national 80.3%. Fiber reaches 47.8%1.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Share of broadband serviceable locations where at least one provider reports the technology, at any speed; a location can have several. Satellite is reported almost everywhere and is left out.
Show the numbers
| Technology | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 47.8% | 62.6% |
| Cable | 90.5% | 80.3% |
| DSL (copper) | 43.7% | 36.2% |
| Licensed fixed wireless (incl. 5G home) | 88.1% | 87.3% |
| Unlicensed fixed wireless | 35.3% | 19.7% |
That combination explains the state's competition figures: wired 100/20 Mbps service is nearly universal, but at 43.2% of locations only one company offers it, the 14th highest share among the states. Nationally the figure is 36.6%1.
In most of those one-wire areas the single choice is the cable company. Spectrum is the only wired 100/20 provider at 19.0% of all California locations, Xfinity at 16.6% and Cox at 4.1%. AT&T, despite its far larger footprint, is the sole wired option at just 0.5%: where it offers fast service, cable is almost always there too. Two or more wired choices are reported at 49.9% of locations, against 55.6%1 for the country as a whole.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6.9% | 43.2% | 43.4% | 6.5% |
| United States | 7.8% | 36.6% | 44.6% | 11.1% |
Fiber follows the phone company's map
California's fiber is concentrated in two companies' territories, and they look very different. Frontier reports service at 18.3% of the state's locations and fiber at 17.7%, so nearly its whole California footprint is fiber. AT&T reports service at 71.3% of locations, but fiber at only 23.7%1; across most of its territory its wired offer is still DSL.
The difference shows up between neighboring suburbs. In the inland suburbs east of Los Angeles and in the high desert, where Frontier's network runs, fiber covers most of each city: Frontier reports fiber at 92.1% of locations in Temecula, 80.6% in Pomona, 77.2% in Ontario and 81.5% in Victorville. Where AT&T is the main wired network besides cable, the shares are far lower. In Corona, AT&T reports service at 91.7% of locations but fiber at 12.3%; in Santa Clarita the fiber share is 15.8% and in Escondido 15.1%1.
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 | Fiber available |
|---|---|
| Temecula | 92.6% |
| Oakland | 90.1% |
| Hesperia | 87.1% |
| Victorville | 82.0% |
| Ontario | 81.9% |
| Pomona | 81.4% |
| United States | 62.6% |
| Los Angeles | 51.9% |
| California | 47.8% |
| Santa Clarita | 18.3% |
| Escondido | 15.6% |
| Corona | 13.0% |
AT&T's fiber is not spread evenly either. It reports fiber at 77.9% of locations in Oakland, one reason the city's overall fiber share is 90.1%, but at 33.7% in Los Angeles and 37.5% in San Francisco. Smaller builders change the picture in a few places: in Simi Valley, Anthem Connect reports fiber at 99.9% of locations, and in Lancaster Race Communications at 75.0%. Statewide, 73 companies report fiber somewhere in California, more than in all but a handful of states (9th highest), yet only 5.8%1 of locations can choose between two fiber networks. The table below gives fiber, gigabit and wired-choice shares for every California city and town with 50,000 or more residents; the largest, such as San Diego, San Jose and Fresno, have their own pages.
| Los Angeles | 3,869,089 | 51.9% | 53.3% | 54.3% | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 1,406,106 | 44.6% | 63.1% | 51.7% | 8 |
| San Jose | 989,814 | 43.9% | 96.2% | 51.3% | 8 |
| San Francisco | 826,079 | 60.8% | 79.6% | 71.1% | 9 |
| Fresno | 555,549 | 39.6% | 91.8% | 44.3% | 4 |
| Sacramento | 536,449 | 60.1% | 97.5% | 65.3% | 5 |
| Long Beach | 450,469 | 83.6% | 83.9% | 83.2% | 8 |
| Oakland | 440,838 | 90.1% | 96.9% | 91.6% | 7 |
| Bakersfield | 422,165 | 35.5% | 40.1% | 40.7% | 3 |
| Anaheim | 341,008 | 36.0% | 37.9% | 41.1% | 4 |
| Stockton | 324,597 | 37.2% | 97.8% | 43.3% | 1 |
| Riverside | 323,057 | 38.3% | 38.3% | 43.4% | 3 |
| Irvine | 318,764 | 52.3% | 94.9% | 51.9% | 7 |
| Santa Ana | 315,586 | 53.1% | 54.8% | 55.7% | 7 |
| Chula Vista | 275,533 | 72.5% | 95.4% | 69.9% | 3 |
| Santa Clarita | 228,430 | 18.3% | 18.4% | 30.9% | 4 |
| Fremont | 226,442 | 38.2% | 97.9% | 45.8% | 3 |
| San Bernardino | 222,044 | 69.0% | 69.1% | 68.6% | 3 |
| Fontana | 221,223 | 30.5% | 30.5% | 35.2% | 5 |
| Modesto | 219,652 | 29.7% | 83.5% | 38.8% | 3 |
| Moreno Valley | 214,263 | 70.0% | 70.0% | 69.4% | 4 |
| Oxnard | 199,651 | 61.0% | 60.2% | 59.9% | 5 |
| Huntington Beach | 191,451 | 69.9% | 72.1% | 69.0% | 6 |
| Glendale | 187,160 | 39.5% | 40.2% | 47.8% | 4 |
| Ontario | 187,013 | 81.9% | 81.5% | 78.2% | 4 |
| Elk Grove | 185,007 | 70.9% | 90.0% | 70.6% | 4 |
| Santa Rosa | 179,437 | 35.5% | 68.7% | 42.3% | 4 |
| Rancho Cucamonga | 177,856 | 21.7% | 21.8% | 20.1% | 5 |
| Oceanside | 170,483 | 26.7% | 95.8% | 28.5% | 6 |
| Garden Grove | 170,455 | 66.2% | 67.4% | 69.4% | 3 |
| Lancaster | 170,084 | 82.5% | 82.5% | 80.7% | 5 |
| Roseville | 167,302 | 61.1% | 94.2% | 62.1% | 4 |
| Palmdale | 161,845 | 36.9% | 36.9% | 42.9% | 7 |
| Corona | 161,734 | 13.0% | 13.6% | 18.0% | 3 |
| Salinas | 159,134 | 31.2% | 84.7% | 38.6% | 3 |
| Hayward | 157,113 | 65.1% | 93.4% | 67.4% | 4 |
| Sunnyvale | 156,577 | 49.7% | 76.8% | 55.2% | 4 |
| Pomona | 147,807 | 81.4% | 81.4% | 80.5% | 4 |
| Visalia | 146,541 | 27.3% | 99.2% | 34.1% | 3 |
| Escondido | 146,030 | 15.6% | 85.1% | 23.0% | 3 |
| Victorville | 141,395 | 82.0% | 82.0% | 81.6% | 3 |
| Fullerton | 138,675 | 76.8% | 77.7% | 77.6% | 5 |
| Torrance | 138,391 | 67.3% | 72.7% | 69.4% | 7 |
| Orange | 138,365 | 28.7% | 32.6% | 37.1% | 6 |
| Pasadena | 135,804 | 44.8% | 45.6% | 49.1% | 5 |
| Santa Clara | 133,446 | 51.7% | 92.2% | 56.6% | 4 |
| Clovis | 129,347 | 34.9% | 98.0% | 39.4% | 2 |
| Simi Valley | 124,861 | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.0% | 4 |
| Vallejo | 123,287 | 42.9% | 94.2% | 51.9% | 4 |
| Concord | 123,261 | 37.0% | 93.3% | 96.6% | 4 |
| Fairfield | 122,489 | 21.8% | 99.3% | 31.7% | 2 |
| Thousand Oaks | 122,230 | 83.0% | 82.8% | 82.8% | 4 |
| Berkeley | 121,911 | 91.6% | 92.3% | 92.0% | 5 |
| Antioch | 118,958 | 37.7% | 88.6% | 44.1% | 2 |
| Menifee | 118,592 | 93.8% | 93.8% | 92.0% | 4 |
| Temecula | 114,865 | 92.6% | 92.6% | 92.0% | 2 |
| Richmond | 114,861 | 78.2% | 88.8% | 79.7% | 2 |
| Murrieta | 114,124 | 92.3% | 92.3% | 90.8% | 3 |
| Carlsbad | 112,260 | 36.0% | 36.0% | 44.0% | 5 |
| Santa Maria | 111,390 | 67.0% | 79.5% | 66.9% | 2 |
| Ventura | 109,914 | 23.8% | 23.8% | 24.1% | 4 |
| Costa Mesa | 108,881 | 47.7% | 49.4% | 52.2% | 4 |
| Downey | 108,468 | 86.2% | 86.2% | 85.0% | 4 |
| Jurupa Valley | 107,311 | 27.8% | 27.8% | 31.7% | 3 |
| Rialto | 106,554 | 20.7% | 20.7% | 25.2% | 4 |
| West Covina | 105,301 | 80.7% | 80.7% | 79.9% | 2 |
| Chico | 105,081 | 30.7% | 54.6% | 30.3% | 4 |
| El Monte | 105,075 | 33.8% | 34.1% | 34.5% | 3 |
| Vacaville | 103,850 | 18.6% | 93.6% | 29.6% | 2 |
| San Mateo | 103,337 | 88.3% | 99.4% | 95.7% | 5 |
| Burbank | 102,988 | 51.8% | 52.5% | 60.4% | 3 |
| Hesperia | 102,605 | 87.1% | 87.1% | 86.4% | 3 |
| Tracy | 101,901 | 24.2% | 63.3% | 30.8% | 2 |
| El Cajon | 101,755 | 43.6% | 91.1% | 46.8% | 3 |
| Inglewood | 101,662 | 52.4% | 52.9% | 55.4% | 4 |
| Daly City | 101,261 | 76.9% | 94.2% | 89.8% | 3 |
| Merced | 99,724 | 32.1% | 75.0% | 36.3% | 3 |
| Vista | 98,274 | 21.0% | 75.6% | 29.4% | 5 |
| Norwalk | 97,104 | 92.1% | 92.2% | 91.5% | 2 |
| Chino | 96,957 | 83.0% | 83.0% | 82.3% | 5 |
| Manteca | 96,693 | 51.6% | 99.1% | 50.8% | 3 |
| San Marcos | 94,908 | 22.3% | 78.4% | 35.9% | 4 |
| Indio | 94,269 | 72.2% | 72.2% | 69.1% | 2 |
| Redding | 94,092 | 6.6% | 8.2% | 5.3% | 3 |
| Hemet | 93,649 | 74.3% | 74.3% | 73.6% | 2 |
| Folsom | 91,983 | 20.2% | 70.8% | 29.6% | 2 |
| Carson | 90,808 | 43.2% | 43.6% | 48.6% | 3 |
| Compton | 90,500 | 45.7% | 46.4% | 50.2% | 2 |
| Mission Viejo | 90,484 | 31.4% | 90.0% | 35.8% | 3 |
| Santa Monica | 90,082 | 70.2% | 71.8% | 67.0% | 4 |
| South Gate | 90,071 | 79.9% | 80.0% | 77.9% | 3 |
| Westminster | 88,966 | 63.9% | 64.9% | 62.8% | 4 |
| Rancho Cordova | 87,554 | 49.8% | 86.9% | 55.7% | 4 |
| Santa Barbara | 86,422 | 71.2% | 92.7% | 69.2% | 3 |
| Citrus Heights | 86,348 | 12.3% | 99.6% | 15.5% | 3 |
| Lake Forest | 86,333 | 55.0% | 92.0% | 57.5% | 4 |
| San Ramon | 86,209 | 38.0% | 97.3% | 42.7% | 2 |
| Whittier | 85,815 | 85.1% | 85.4% | 84.6% | 2 |
| Mountain View | 85,438 | 58.2% | 81.1% | 61.7% | 4 |
| San Leandro | 85,353 | 82.9% | 96.0% | 84.9% | 2 |
| Livermore | 83,457 | 33.2% | 96.4% | 37.4% | 2 |
| Perris | 83,237 | 91.9% | 91.9% | 90.6% | 3 |
| Hawthorne | 82,741 | 76.6% | 77.5% | 75.0% | 3 |
| Redwood City | 82,178 | 77.5% | 94.5% | 83.2% | 6 |
| Newport Beach | 81,977 | 54.4% | 81.1% | 54.4% | 6 |
| Buena Park | 81,741 | 53.8% | 54.5% | 57.4% | 3 |
| Alhambra | 79,820 | 48.3% | 48.9% | 54.9% | 2 |
| Upland | 79,446 | 52.0% | 51.9% | 50.3% | 2 |
| Milpitas | 78,596 | 31.5% | 80.2% | 44.9% | 3 |
| Lakewood | 78,010 | 92.3% | 92.4% | 92.9% | 3 |
| Tustin | 77,843 | 52.4% | 78.4% | 54.0% | 5 |
| Pittsburg | 77,542 | 35.2% | 94.4% | 43.0% | 1 |
| Chino Hills | 77,519 | 89.7% | 89.7% | 89.2% | 3 |
| Alameda | 76,876 | 82.0% | 86.3% | 84.4% | 3 |
| Rocklin | 76,821 | 42.3% | 42.4% | 47.9% | 3 |
| Napa | 76,562 | 28.4% | 63.4% | 38.3% | 2 |
| Apple Valley | 75,247 | 87.5% | 87.5% | 86.4% | 2 |
| Lake Elsinore | 75,067 | 90.1% | 90.1% | 89.6% | 3 |
| Bellflower | 74,719 | 70.8% | 70.8% | 68.6% | 3 |
| Pleasanton | 74,556 | 13.4% | 95.2% | 21.3% | 2 |
| Redlands | 74,128 | 85.6% | 85.7% | 84.7% | 2 |
| Tulare | 73,907 | 89.2% | 92.7% | 88.8% | 6 |
| Turlock | 72,864 | 22.8% | 59.5% | 28.3% | 2 |
| Dublin | 71,602 | 64.2% | 98.2% | 68.3% | 2 |
| Eastvale | 70,594 | 47.4% | 47.4% | 52.4% | 3 |
| Walnut Creek | 70,012 | 29.4% | 99.4% | 88.4% | 4 |
| Yuba City | 69,485 | 85.3% | 91.6% | 85.7% | 2 |
| Lodi | 69,100 | 36.8% | 75.4% | 42.9% | 2 |
| Madera | 69,017 | 25.9% | 75.3% | 31.8% | 3 |
| Baldwin Park | 68,880 | 82.3% | 82.4% | 81.3% | 2 |
| Camarillo | 68,652 | 85.4% | 85.4% | 85.0% | 3 |
| Palo Alto | 67,609 | 77.1% | 96.1% | 79.0% | 2 |
| Redondo Beach | 67,281 | 87.2% | 87.7% | 86.2% | 3 |
| Brentwood | 66,607 | 73.3% | 95.3% | 75.9% | 3 |
| Davis | 66,110 | 17.9% | 99.4% | 24.9% | 4 |
| Yorba Linda | 65,632 | 9.1% | 9.6% | 19.9% | 3 |
| Union City | 65,282 | 28.2% | 91.9% | 41.2% | 3 |
| South San Francisco | 64,941 | 75.8% | 91.5% | 85.8% | 4 |
| Laguna Niguel | 64,107 | 0.3% | 93.0% | 10.3% | 2 |
| Lynwood | 63,512 | 62.2% | 62.2% | 64.5% | 3 |
| Porterville | 63,088 | 36.5% | 36.6% | 36.9% | 4 |
| Woodland | 62,513 | 47.8% | 47.9% | 52.2% | 3 |
| Hanford | 62,229 | 30.5% | 82.9% | 35.7% | 3 |
| San Clemente | 62,226 | 25.6% | 94.7% | 24.8% | 3 |
| Santa Cruz | 61,797 | 63.0% | 73.9% | 63.1% | 4 |
| La Habra | 60,908 | 72.4% | 73.9% | 72.7% | 3 |
| Beaumont | 60,835 | 94.2% | 94.2% | 88.4% | 3 |
| Gilroy | 60,764 | 36.3% | 36.3% | 35.2% | 3 |
| Encinitas | 60,736 | 53.5% | 69.9% | 63.4% | 4 |
| Montebello | 60,693 | 49.2% | 49.4% | 57.2% | 4 |
| La Mesa | 59,914 | 62.1% | 93.4% | 64.5% | 2 |
| Petaluma | 59,688 | 36.1% | 90.3% | 42.6% | 4 |
| San Rafael | 59,410 | 46.3% | 88.6% | 49.8% | 2 |
| Pico Rivera | 58,915 | 88.5% | 88.7% | 88.0% | 3 |
| Gardena | 58,460 | 37.4% | 60.1% | 42.1% | 3 |
| Cupertino | 58,333 | 59.6% | 99.2% | 65.4% | 1 |
| Santee | 58,205 | 20.4% | 93.0% | 28.1% | 2 |
| National City | 57,807 | 75.0% | 92.6% | 72.3% | 3 |
| Highland | 57,614 | 26.4% | 26.4% | 30.6% | 3 |
| Monterey Park | 57,457 | 45.7% | 45.9% | 48.1% | 2 |
| Lincoln | 57,367 | 60.7% | 60.7% | 64.5% | 4 |
| West Sacramento | 56,216 | 46.1% | 46.1% | 50.9% | 4 |
| San Jacinto | 56,014 | 81.4% | 81.4% | 80.9% | 3 |
| Fountain Valley | 55,508 | 28.3% | 29.7% | 32.1% | 3 |
| Yucaipa | 54,953 | 64.1% | 64.1% | 62.8% | 2 |
| Placentia | 54,911 | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.0% | 4 |
| Arcadia | 54,117 | 53.5% | 53.8% | 92.3% | 5 |
| Colton | 53,383 | 38.0% | 39.3% | 40.7% | 3 |
| Palm Desert | 53,259 | 40.7% | 40.7% | 38.9% | 4 |
| Cathedral City | 52,375 | 63.8% | 63.8% | 60.0% | 3 |
| Delano | 52,334 | 28.9% | 100.0% | 31.0% | 3 |
| Novato | 51,947 | 44.9% | 92.7% | 46.5% | 3 |
| Diamond Bar | 51,884 | 43.1% | 43.2% | 42.6% | 2 |
| Huntington Park | 51,544 | 55.1% | 57.0% | 58.7% | 3 |
| Paramount | 50,755 | 38.7% | 39.9% | 38.7% | 3 |
| Watsonville | 50,716 | 38.2% | 52.8% | 45.3% | 3 |
| San Luis Obispo | 50,636 | 46.1% | 46.1% | 41.7% | 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.
Four years of change: fiber up, copper down
Between June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2026, fiber's share of California locations rose from 34.0%4 to 47.8%. That gain of 13.8 percentage points ranks 9th lowest among the states and is smaller than the national rise of 25.4 percentage points. Over the same period DSL fell by 15.3 percentage points, to 43.7%1 of locations, as providers stopped reporting older copper service in many areas.
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 | 34.0% | 46.1% | 47.8% | 13.8 pts |
| DSL available | 58.9% | 44.1% | 43.7% | −15.3 pts |
| Gigabit (1,000/100) | 33.4% | 66.9% | 67.4% | 34.0 pts |
| Wired 100/100 Mbps | 34.0% | 65.3% | 65.5% | 31.6 pts |
| Two or more wired choices | 38.9% | 48.4% | 49.9% | 11.0 pts |
The largest moves were in advertised speed. Gigabit service with at least 100 Mbps upload went from 33.4% of locations to 67.4%, and wired service with 100 Mbps both ways from 34.0% to 65.5%. Cable's own footprint did not grow (90.5%4 in 2022, 90.5%1 now), so the gain came from faster tiers inside existing cable areas and from new fiber, not from cable reaching new places.
By county, fiber rose most in Sutter County, by +57.9 percentage points, and no county's share fell; the smallest change was in Tehama County, +1.2 percentage points. Among the large counties, Ventura's share rose by 20.6 percentage points and Santa Clara's by 19.5 percentage points1.
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.
The mountain counties where the wires stop
Measured statewide, the gaps look small: 168,684 locations (1.6%) are unserved under the BEAD definition, with no reliable service of 25/3 Mbps from a wired or licensed fixed wireless provider, and 91,086 more are underserved. They are concentrated in the Sierra Nevada and the far north. In 31 of the state's 586 counties, half of all locations or more are unserved.
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.
Alpine County, which has the fewest locations of any California county, counts 1,225 locations; 68.7% of them are unserved and at 34.0% satellite is the only service reported. Sierra County is unserved at 58.9%, with fixed wireless from DigitalPath at 47.1% of locations as the most widespread terrestrial service. In Trinity County, unserved at 58.6%, fixed wireless is the only way to get 100/20 Mbps at 43.0% of locations, and wired 100/20 service reaches 11.1%1.
Low fiber does not always mean poor service. Lake County, north of the Napa Valley, has fiber at only 1.5% of locations, the 3rd lowest share of any county, but wired 100/20 service at 78.9% and an unserved share of 3.9%. At the other end, San Mateo County has the highest fiber share, 75.4%, and the most competition: two or more wired providers at 80.7%1 of locations.
| Alameda County | 391,730 | 64.9% | 99.0% | 68.7% | 0.1% | Xfinity | 83.8% ±0.3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine County | 1,225 | 20.4% | 20.6% | 0.0% | 68.7% | AT&T | 65.7% ±9.9 |
| Amador County | 18,378 | 24.8% | 58.3% | 0.1% | 6.3% | Volcano Vision | 69.1% ±3.1 |
| Butte County | 77,718 | 20.6% | 82.5% | 18.6% | 4.5% | Xfinity | 71.3% ±1.3 |
| Calaveras County | 27,711 | 7.6% | 67.3% | 0.0% | 13.9% | Xfinity | 61.4% ±3.4 |
| Colusa County | 8,379 | 53.6% | 58.2% | 35.8% | 10.9% | Frontier | 52.1% ±5.9 |
| Contra Costa County | 336,441 | 45.2% | 98.9% | 59.6% | 0.3% | Xfinity | 83.7% ±0.5 |
| Del Norte County | 10,691 | 40.2% | 87.4% | 39.0% | 8.2% | Spectrum | 75.0% ±3.4 |
| El Dorado County | 83,157 | 9.8% | 72.0% | 10.2% | 3.1% | Cal.net | 70.6% ±1.2 |
| Fresno County | 287,988 | 37.2% | 90.1% | 38.7% | 1.5% | unWired Broadband | 72.1% ±0.6 |
| Glenn County | 10,738 | 6.7% | 61.9% | 5.3% | 1.7% | AT&T | 50.7% ±3.9 |
| Humboldt County | 52,414 | 24.0% | 77.5% | 21.3% | 3.1% | Optimum | 70.8% ±1.4 |
| Imperial County | 47,322 | 7.7% | 83.9% | 3.6% | 4.4% | Sun Valley Broadband | 65.1% ±2.1 |
| Inyo County | 8,741 | 35.0% | 76.5% | 34.3% | 16.7% | Optimum | 59.3% ±4.2 |
| Kern County | 276,260 | 39.0% | 91.6% | 39.2% | 2.8% | Spectrum | 71.3% ±0.7 |
| Kings County | 40,921 | 25.9% | 88.6% | 28.6% | 1.0% | Xfinity | 67.0% ±2.0 |
| Lake County | 33,834 | 1.5% | 78.9% | 1.3% | 3.9% | Mediacom | 60.7% ±2.6 |
| Lassen County | 11,701 | 49.7% | 59.5% | 34.5% | 30.7% | Zito Media | 50.0% ±3.4 |
| Los Angeles County | 2,051,856 | 58.6% | 95.9% | 60.8% | 0.4% | Spectrum | 78.3% ±0.2 |
| Madera County | 51,879 | 20.7% | 75.4% | 21.5% | 4.2% | Xfinity | 69.8% ±1.8 |
| Marin County | 87,484 | 46.3% | 97.0% | 47.6% | 1.2% | Xfinity | 86.1% ±0.9 |
| Mariposa County | 9,725 | 15.7% | 15.7% | 0.0% | 42.2% | Sierra Telephone Company, Inc. | 59.5% ±4.2 |
| Mendocino County | 36,784 | 1.4% | 68.0% | 1.3% | 6.9% | Xfinity | 64.4% ±2.3 |
| Merced County | 82,125 | 28.3% | 87.3% | 29.3% | 0.8% | unWired Broadband | 70.6% ±1.3 |
| Modoc County | 5,356 | 26.2% | 33.2% | 21.8% | 48.0% | Frontier | 60.8% ±6.4 |
| Mono County | 7,878 | 31.8% | 77.2% | 13.5% | 17.6% | Optimum | 61.6% ±7.2 |
| Monterey County | 111,284 | 30.1% | 92.2% | 32.4% | 4.0% | AT&T | 71.9% ±1.2 |
| Napa County | 46,926 | 21.7% | 88.2% | 27.2% | 5.7% | Xfinity | 77.3% ±5.1 |
| Nevada County | 49,752 | 14.1% | 73.3% | 8.2% | 4.2% | AT&T | 69.4% ±1.9 |
| Orange County | 723,690 | 46.3% | 96.9% | 49.5% | 0.1% | AT&T | 81.7% ±0.3 |
| Placer County | 164,867 | 47.0% | 92.1% | 43.0% | 1.4% | AT&T | 79.5% ±0.8 |
| Plumas County | 14,816 | 40.7% | 45.0% | 10.6% | 28.5% | Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications | 40.8% ±4.4 |
| Riverside County | 763,412 | 62.7% | 94.5% | 61.6% | 1.7% | Spectrum | 79.4% ±0.5 |
| Sacramento County | 477,900 | 48.4% | 97.6% | 52.0% | 0.1% | Xfinity | 80.6% ±0.5 |
| San Benito County | 19,926 | 29.3% | 87.5% | 29.8% | 3.1% | AT&T | 76.0% ±2.6 |
| San Bernardino County | 640,171 | 61.5% | 93.0% | 59.1% | 1.8% | Spectrum | 77.2% ±0.4 |
| San Diego County | 782,704 | 38.7% | 93.4% | 43.6% | 2.3% | AT&T | 82.6% ±0.3 |
| San Francisco County | 146,083 | 60.8% | 99.1% | 71.1% | 0.0% | Xfinity | 82.5% ±0.5 |
| San Joaquin County | 227,486 | 38.1% | 93.2% | 41.7% | 0.2% | Xfinity | 75.8% ±0.7 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 106,286 | 28.8% | 87.8% | 23.2% | 5.3% | Spectrum | 77.1% ±0.9 |
| San Mateo County | 189,509 | 75.4% | 99.0% | 80.7% | 0.5% | Xfinity | 85.5% ±0.6 |
| Santa Barbara County | 114,723 | 59.7% | 94.7% | 57.3% | 1.9% | Frontier | 78.8% ±0.8 |
| Santa Clara County | 449,191 | 50.1% | 97.9% | 55.1% | 0.3% | Xfinity | 85.6% ±0.3 |
| Santa Cruz County | 78,922 | 34.2% | 95.3% | 36.0% | 2.1% | AT&T | 79.2% ±1.0 |
| Shasta County | 71,873 | 10.6% | 71.8% | 5.6% | 11.7% | Spectrum | 68.8% ±1.4 |
| Sierra County | 2,084 | 27.5% | 28.3% | 0.0% | 58.9% | Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications | 30.4% ±8.7 |
| Siskiyou County | 23,470 | 45.5% | 66.0% | 23.7% | 10.5% | CentraCom | 62.6% ±1.9 |
| Solano County | 138,955 | 28.7% | 96.2% | 37.5% | 0.4% | Xfinity | 77.3% ±0.9 |
| Sonoma County | 170,549 | 23.4% | 92.9% | 27.5% | 3.4% | Xfinity | 80.7% ±0.8 |
| Stanislaus County | 162,050 | 24.8% | 91.8% | 29.9% | 0.6% | AT&T | 71.5% ±0.9 |
| Sutter County | 30,982 | 65.4% | 87.1% | 65.7% | 1.2% | Xfinity | 67.8% ±2.1 |
| Tehama County | 25,782 | 1.2% | 45.5% | 0.0% | 6.0% | – | 49.1% ±2.6 |
| Trinity County | 7,733 | 11.1% | 11.1% | 0.0% | 58.6% | Frontier | 33.0% ±5.1 |
| Tulare County | 141,069 | 39.4% | 87.3% | 38.4% | 2.4% | AT&T | 68.3% ±1.0 |
| Tuolumne County | 30,043 | 2.7% | 66.5% | 1.9% | 7.3% | Xfinity | 60.4% ±2.7 |
| Ventura County | 230,378 | 62.7% | 95.6% | 62.2% | 0.9% | Spectrum | 82.1% ±0.6 |
| Yolo County | 61,332 | 35.4% | 87.9% | 38.6% | 1.7% | AT&T | 76.9% ±1.2 |
| Yuba County | 26,758 | 28.4% | 75.6% | 30.4% | 8.0% | Xfinity | 67.1% ±2.3 |
| California | 10,289,142 | 47.8% | 93.1% | 49.9% | 1.6% | 78.9% |
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).
BEAD: more locations than any other state plan
No state plan reaches more places. California's Final Proposal under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, as summarized by NTIA, covers 270,571 locations for $1.42 billion in BEAD money, $5,230 per location, with $861.0 million8 more from the providers. Its $1.86 billion9 allocation is second only to Texas's.
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 | 52.9% |
| Cable | 0.0% |
| Fixed wireless | 20.2% |
| Low-Earth-orbit satellite | 27.0% |
143,098 locations (52.9%) are assigned to fiber, 72,937 (27.0%) to low-Earth-orbit satellite and 54,536 (20.2%) to fixed wireless. That makes the plan less fiber-heavy than many: its fiber share ranks 20th lowest among the state plans. $449.1 million8 of the allocation is not assigned to construction; its use had not been settled as of November 2026. The California Public Utilities Commission runs the program and publishes its subgrantee selection documents and the challenge process.
BEAD is not the only federal money. California was allocated $540.2 million10 from the Treasury's Capital Projects Fund, and the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund has disbursed $16.5 million11 in the state.
| Program | Amount | As of |
|---|---|---|
| BEAD allocation (NTIA, announced June 26, 2023) | $1,864,136,509 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: locations to be connected | 270,571 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: deployment cost | $1,415,047,585 | |
| BEAD cost per location | $5,230 | |
| BEAD allocation not assigned to deployment | $449,088,924 | |
| Treasury Capital Projects Fund allocation | $540,249,909 | |
| RDOF: locations built with support (cumulative) | 6,498 | |
| USDA ReConnect grants reported to USAspending | $46,275,015 | |
| Lifeline subscribers claimed | 1,059,778 | |
| Lifeline participation rate | 37.6% | |
| Households in the Affordable Connectivity Program, February 2024 | 2,945,282 |
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.
Subscriptions are near universal; cost is the open question
Coverage is only half the picture. In the Census Bureau's 2025 American Community Survey, 95.6% of California households had a broadband subscription of some kind (margin of error ±0.1 percentage points), a rate tied for the highest among the states, up from 89.8% in 2019. Fewer households went without: 4.4%, against 10.0%17 six years earlier. Not every subscription is wired; 78.8% of households had cable, fiber or DSL and 12.9%16 relied on a cellular data plan alone.
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) | 93.1% | |
| Households subscribing to cable, fiber or DSL (Census) | 78.8% | ±0.2 |
| Households relying only on a cellular data plan | 12.9% | ±0.2 |
| Households with no internet subscription | 4.4% | ±0.1 |
Income still separates households. 85.3% of those earning under $20,000 a year subscribed, against 98.1%16 of those earning $75,000 or more. Among California households that did not use the internet at home, 15.3%18 named cost as the main reason in NTIA's 2023 Internet Use Survey.
No federal dataset publishes typical internet prices for California, and the FCC map has none. The official programs are these: Lifeline, with its $9.25 monthly discount, had an estimated 37.6%14 of eligible California households enrolled in June 2026. The Affordable Connectivity Program counted 2,945,28215 California households when enrollment froze in February 2024, before it ended on June 1, 2024. Prices and plan terms for any provider are on its broadband facts label.
Questions and answers
Which companies provide home internet in California?
Leaving out satellite, the widest reported footprints as of June 30, 2026 belong to AT&T (71.3% of locations), T-Mobile (68.9%, mostly 5G home internet), Verizon (55.4%, fixed wireless), Spectrum (46.1%, cable) and Xfinity (34.7%, cable). Frontier reports fiber at 17.7% of the state's locations and Cox cable at 7.9%. In all, 1541 providers report terrestrial service somewhere in the state.
How much of California has fiber internet?
Fiber is reported at 47.8% of California's homes and businesses, the 10th lowest share among the states, against 62.6% nationally. AT&T reports fiber at 23.7% of the state's locations and Frontier at 17.7%1. Whether a particular address has it can only be checked on the FCC's National Broadband Map.
How many Californians lack broadband?
In FCC terms, 168,684 homes and businesses (1.6%) as of June 30, 2026: locations with no reliable wired or licensed fixed wireless service of at least 25/3 Mbps. Most are in the Sierra Nevada and the far north. Another 91,0861 had reliable service below 100/20 Mbps. Among households, the Census Bureau found 4.4%16 without any internet subscription in 2025.
How much BEAD funding does California get?
California's BEAD allocation is $1.86 billion, the 2nd highest9 of any state. Its Final Proposal covers 270,571 locations, more than any other state plan, at a BEAD cost of $1.42 billion8.
Is there cheap or low-income internet in California?
The FCC map lists no prices. The federal Lifeline program gives eligible low-income households a $9.25 monthly discount on phone or internet service, and USAC estimates that 37.6% of eligible California households were enrolled in June 2026, the 2nd highest14 rate of any state. Each provider's broadband facts label shows its current prices.
Checking one address in California
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 California
Large cities with their own page: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, Oakland, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Stockton, Riverside, Irvine, Santa Ana, Chula Vista, Santa Clarita, Fremont, San Bernardino, Fontana, Modesto, Moreno Valley, Oxnard, Huntington Beach, Glendale, Ontario, Elk Grove, Santa Rosa, Rancho Cucamonga, Oceanside, Garden Grove, Lancaster, Roseville, Palmdale, Corona, Salinas, Hayward, Sunnyvale, Pomona, Visalia, Escondido, Victorville, Fullerton, Torrance, Orange, Pasadena, Santa Clara, Clovis, Simi Valley, Vallejo, Concord, Fairfield, Thousand Oaks, Berkeley, Antioch, Menifee, Temecula, Richmond, Murrieta, Carlsbad, Santa Maria, Ventura, Costa Mesa, Downey, Jurupa Valley, Rialto, West Covina, Chico, El Monte, Vacaville, San Mateo, Burbank, Hesperia, Tracy, El Cajon, Inglewood and Daly City.
Neighboring states: Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Put California side by side with any state or large city in the comparison tool.
| Ranking | Value | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber internet availability by state | 47.8% | 42nd of 51 |
| Internet speed by state: where gigabit service is offered | 67.4% | 37th of 51 |
| Broadband coverage by state | 93.1% | 21st of 51 |
| Internet provider competition by state | 49.9% | 33rd of 51 |
| Unserved and underserved broadband locations by state | 1.6% | 35th of 51 |
| Where fiber has grown since 2022 | 13.8% | 43rd of 51 |
| 5G home internet and licensed fixed wireless by state | 88.1% | 20th of 51 |
| Households with an internet subscription by state | 95.6% | tied 1st of 51 |
| BEAD broadband funding by state | 5,230.0% | 19th 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
- 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
- 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
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. api.census.gov
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs. broadbandusa.ntia.gov
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Award Recipients pages; Allocations announced 2023-06-26; released June 26, 2023. 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
- 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 2019 1-year detailed tables; 2019. api.census.gov
- NTIA Data Explorer "Analyze Table"; November 2023 (also all prior waves 1994-2021). www.ntia.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.