Iowa internet, a state wired by many fiber networks
Fiber is available at 77.5% of the 1,365,029 homes and businesses the FCC counts in Iowa, and wired broadband of at least 100/20 Mbps at 90.4%. 55.8% of locations have a choice of two or more wired providers at that speed; at 34.6% there is only one.1
FCC National Broadband Map, availability as of June 30, 2026 (data revised November 10, 2026), as reported by providers.
Midwest region, West North Central division
More companies report fiber in Iowa than in any other state, and the largest of them reaches only about a fifth of its homes and businesses. Together those networks have put fiber within reach of most of the state, but coverage still changes sharply from one county to the next, and the largest gaps are in a handful of southern counties.
The big names, and the local wires behind them
Ranked by how many Iowa homes and businesses they say they can serve, two of the three largest providers report no fiber at all. T-Mobile reports licensed fixed wireless service (the category that includes 5G home internet) at 67.3% of the state's 1,365,029 broadband serviceable locations, and Verizon at 57.9%. Both offer 100/20 Mbps at only about a quarter of locations (23.5% and 22.6%1). These figures, like every figure on this page, are from the FCC's National Broadband Map as of June 30, 2026, in the revision of November 10, 2026, and "available" means a provider reports it could install service within ten business days.
Between them by reach is Mediacom, the main cable company. It reports service at 58.5% of locations and is the only wired provider offering 100/20 Mbps at 8.6%. CenturyLink reports 44.2%, almost all of it DSL: it offers 100/20 Mbps at 1.6%. AT&T did not appear on the Iowa map in June 2022 and now reports 34.2%, mostly fixed wireless; its fiber reaches 6.5%1.
The largest fiber network is Metronet, at 21.4% of locations. Among the other large providers, ImOn Communications reports fiber at 7.4% (and some form of service at 75.8% of Cedar Rapids locations) and Kinetic at 5.8%1. Satellite providers, which report service almost everywhere, are left out of the table.
| T-Mobile | Licensed wireless | 67.3% | 23.5% | 100 Mbps | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom | Fiber Cable Licensed wireless | 58.5% | 58.4% | 5 Gbps | 8.6% |
| Verizon | Licensed wireless | 57.9% | 22.6% | 1 Gbps | – |
| CenturyLink | Fiber DSL | 44.2% | 1.6% | 8 Gbps | 0.0% |
| AT&T | Fiber Licensed wireless | 34.2% | 10.6% | 8 Gbps | 0.1% |
| Metronet | Fiber | 21.4% | 21.4% | 5 Gbps | 0.2% |
| Nextlink Internet | Fiber Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 19.5% | 18.9% | 2 Gbps | 0.0% |
| Kinetic | Fiber Cable DSL Fixed wireless | 14.0% | 7.2% | 2 Gbps | 1.2% |
| Rise Broadband | Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 12.6% | 2.1% | 500 Mbps | – |
| GigFire | Fiber Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 11.4% | 11.3% | 1 Gbps | – |
| ImOn Communications LLC | Fiber Cable Fixed wireless | 9.0% | 9.0% | 5 Gbps | 0.0% |
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 (Viasat, HughesNet, Starlink) report service at nearly every location and are left out of the table.
182 fiber providers, the most of any state
Much of Iowa's fiber comes from companies too small to appear in the table above. 182 companies report fiber service somewhere in Iowa, more than in any other state; nationwide, 1,485 brands report fiber. Iowa also has the most companies reporting any wired service, 186, up from 1802 in 2022. Together the Iowa networks put fiber at 77.5% of locations, the 8th highest share among the states and well above the national 62.6%1, although no single fiber company reaches even a quarter of the state.
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
| State | Fiber networks |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,485 |
| Iowa | 182 |
| Texas | 129 |
| Missouri | 83 |
| Illinois | 82 |
| Minnesota | 80 |
| Colorado | 76 |
| Tennessee | 76 |
| Georgia | 74 |
| California | 73 |
| Ohio | 71 |
| Indiana | 68 |
| Washington | 66 |
| Wisconsin | 65 |
| Michigan | 64 |
| Oklahoma | 62 |
The mix of technologies reflects that. Cable reaches only 62.5% of locations, the 9th lowest share in the country, against 80.3% nationally, while DSL is still reported at 54.1%, the 8th highest1. Many locations have both: the older copper line and a newer fiber line are reported at the same addresses.
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 | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 77.5% | 62.6% |
| Cable | 62.5% | 80.3% |
| DSL (copper) | 54.1% | 36.2% |
| Licensed fixed wireless (incl. 5G home) | 86.4% | 87.3% |
| Unlicensed fixed wireless | 36.6% | 19.7% |
How many wired choices an Iowa address has
Wired service of at least 100/20 Mbps is reported at 90.4% of Iowa locations. At 34.6% it comes from exactly one company, and at 55.8% from two or more, close to the national 55.6%. In June 2022 only 29.2% had a second wired choice; the rise of 26.7 percentage points is the 11th highest among the states. At 15.9%1 of locations two separate fiber networks now overlap, up from 2.6%2.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 9.6% | 34.6% | 41.3% | 14.6% |
| Des Moines | 0.5% | 6.4% | 18.9% | 74.2% |
| Davenport | 0.6% | 5.8% | 69.3% | 24.3% |
| Cedar Rapids | 1.4% | 21.0% | 70.3% | 7.2% |
| United States | 7.8% | 36.6% | 44.6% | 11.1% |
The second wire is most common in the cities. In Des Moines, 93.2% of locations have two or more wired choices, and three fiber networks each cover large parts of the city: Metronet (84.7% of locations), Google Fiber (61.7%) and AT&T (51.5%). At 74.0% of Des Moines locations two or more fiber networks overlap, up from 0.9%2 in 2022. Cedar Rapids has competition with less fiber: 77.5% of locations have a second wired choice, but fiber reaches 35.2%. Davenport has fiber at 94.3%1.
| Des Moines | 212,086 | 93.6% | 99.4% | 93.2% | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | 137,935 | 35.2% | 98.5% | 77.5% | 9 |
| Davenport | 100,358 | 94.3% | 95.6% | 93.5% | 5 |
| Sioux City | 86,356 | 88.8% | 88.6% | 88.2% | 8 |
| Ankeny | 77,833 | 91.9% | 98.6% | 88.2% | 7 |
| Iowa City | 76,229 | 85.9% | 87.6% | 85.6% | 7 |
| West Des Moines | 74,224 | 91.3% | 98.1% | 89.6% | 9 |
| Ames | 68,220 | 88.8% | 93.1% | 87.0% | 6 |
| Waterloo | 66,919 | 97.5% | 97.6% | 96.9% | 7 |
| Council Bluffs | 62,680 | 86.1% | 96.9% | 82.9% | 6 |
| Dubuque | 59,148 | 74.5% | 74.5% | 75.7% | 5 |
| Urbandale | 48,570 | 95.2% | 97.3% | 94.4% | 8 |
| Marion | 42,732 | 74.6% | 99.0% | 87.6% | 4 |
| Cedar Falls | 41,240 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 84.9% | 3 |
| Bettendorf | 40,710 | 98.9% | 99.0% | 98.1% | 4 |
| Waukee | 34,890 | 98.6% | 97.9% | 93.7% | 8 |
| Marshalltown | 27,536 | 94.3% | 97.4% | 93.5% | 6 |
| Mason City | 26,853 | 95.4% | 95.4% | 93.7% | 7 |
| Ottumwa | 25,319 | 67.7% | 67.7% | 67.0% | 4 |
| Johnston | 25,065 | 93.8% | 93.5% | 92.3% | 6 |
| Fort Dodge | 24,837 | 86.9% | 86.9% | 86.3% | 5 |
| Clinton | 24,049 | 88.1% | 99.1% | 85.1% | 4 |
| Coralville | 23,960 | 95.4% | 95.3% | 91.8% | 6 |
| Burlington | 23,336 | 88.9% | 89.0% | 88.6% | 4 |
| Muscatine | 23,164 | 93.5% | 93.5% | 0.0% | 2 |
| Altoona | 22,796 | 89.2% | 98.5% | 87.1% | 5 |
| North Liberty | 21,976 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 98.3% | 2 |
| Clive | 19,861 | 95.8% | 98.7% | 94.1% | 6 |
| Grimes | 17,405 | 85.3% | 87.2% | 81.9% | 7 |
| Indianola | 16,829 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 96.6% | 3 |
| Newton | 15,741 | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.6% | 3 |
| Norwalk | 15,004 | 95.4% | 94.8% | 87.8% | 4 |
| Boone | 12,471 | 68.9% | 79.8% | 65.5% | 4 |
| Storm Lake | 11,590 | 2.5% | 2.5% | 82.3% | 2 |
| Oskaloosa | 11,493 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 98.4% | 1 |
| Pleasant Hill | 11,239 | 88.2% | 95.4% | 88.2% | 5 |
| Spencer | 11,218 | 88.9% | 88.9% | 86.4% | 3 |
| Pella | 10,992 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 94.3% | 3 |
| Le Mars | 10,760 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| Waverly | 10,561 | 99.9% | 99.9% | 96.6% | 2 |
| Carroll | 10,085 | 99.8% | 99.8% | 95.7% | 2 |
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.
Away from the cities, a single fast wire is common, even where it is fiber. In Lyon County, in the far northwest, fiber reaches 86.8% of locations and wired 100/20 service reaches 99.3%, yet 99.1% of locations have exactly one wired provider at that speed, and only 0.2% have two or more. Where there is no fast wire at all, fixed wireless fills in: at 6.2% of Iowa locations it is the only service of 100/20 Mbps or more, the 14th highest share among the states. The county map shows where the second wire is. Polk County has the highest share of locations with two or more wired choices, 88.6%, and only 311 of the 995 counties reach half.
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.
Fiber since 2022, and the move to multi-gigabit
In the first National Broadband Map, as of June 30, 2022, fiber was reported at 44.5% of Iowa locations. Four years later it is at 77.5%, a rise of 33.0 percentage points that ranks tied for 14th highest. DSL fell by 10.5 percentage points over the same period. Wired service with uploads as fast as downloads, 100/100 Mbps or more, nearly doubled its reach, from 41.4%2 to 82.4%1.
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 | 44.5% | 76.0% | 77.5% | 33.0 pts |
| Wired 100/100 Mbps | 41.4% | 80.2% | 82.4% | 41.0 pts |
| Gigabit (1,000/100) | 34.4% | 80.2% | 82.0% | 47.6 pts |
| DSL available | 64.5% | 57.0% | 54.1% | −10.5 pts |
| Two or more wired choices | 29.2% | 56.2% | 55.8% | 26.7 pts |
Some of the largest rises were in metro counties. Fiber coverage rose by 52.1 percentage points in Polk County (Des Moines), by 63.2 percentage points in Black Hawk County (Waterloo) and by 69.8 percentage points in Woodbury County (Sioux City). The largest rise of any county, +81.3 percentage points, was in Dickinson County, around the Iowa Great Lakes. In Sioux County the share moved the other way, −4.6 percentage points, though fiber still reaches 76.4%1 of its locations.
The advertised speeds changed with the networks. In June 2022 the fastest offer at 67.3% of locations was a gigabit tier and at 8.7%2 it was 2 Gbps or more. By June 2026 the multi-gigabit share was 51.4% and the gigabit-tier share had fallen to 37.8%1. These are providers' maximum advertised downloads, not tested speeds.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Maximum advertised download speed (Mbps) of any wired or fixed wireless offer at the location, as reported by providers to the FCC; satellite excluded. Advertised, not measured.
Show the numbers
| Area | Under 25 Mbps or none | 25–99 | 100–249 | 250–499 | 500–939 | 940–1,999 | 2,000 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 1.3% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 37.8% | 51.4% |
| United States | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 31.0% | 61.0% |
Next-door counties with opposite results
County results swing sharply, even between neighbors. Winnebago County in the north has fiber at 100.0% of its locations; 86 of Iowa's 995 counties have fiber at half or more of their locations. The lowest is Ringgold County, on the Missouri border, at 6.0%. Decatur County, its eastern neighbor, has fiber at 98.7%1.
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 unserved locations are concentrated in the south. Adams County (28.9%) and Lucas County (28.9%) have the highest shares of locations without reliable 25/3 Mbps service, and Adams County also has the largest satellite-only share, 9.1%. Fremont County, in the southwest corner, has 19.7% unserved. Statewide the unserved share is 2.2%1, down from 3.3%2 in 2022.
| Adams County, Iowa | 2,673 | 29.6% | 53.2% | 20.4% | 28.9% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas County, Iowa | 4,766 | 29.4% | 53.8% | 17.5% | 28.9% |
| Fremont County, Iowa | 4,254 | 44.2% | 48.4% | 12.8% | 19.7% |
| Clarke County, Iowa | 4,904 | 46.7% | 68.5% | 8.8% | 16.6% |
| Wayne County, Iowa | 4,256 | 83.7% | 83.8% | 4.9% | 14.8% |
| Ringgold County, Iowa | 3,897 | 6.0% | 40.8% | 51.9% | 10.9% |
| Decatur County, Iowa | 4,449 | 98.7% | 98.7% | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Davis County, Iowa | 4,714 | 99.5% | 99.5% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Iowa | 1,365,029 | 77.5% | 90.4% | 6.2% | 2.2% |
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.
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.
Two other counties stand out for speed rather than coverage. Buena Vista County, around Storm Lake, has gigabit service (1,000/100 Mbps) at only 10.8% of its locations, the lowest in Iowa, and at 31.0% fixed wireless is the only 100/20 option. Worth County has it at 100.0%1.
| Adair County | 4,423 | 76.5% | 79.8% | 43.6% | 5.9% | Kinetic | 58.6% ±4.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 2,673 | 29.6% | 53.2% | 12.8% | 28.9% | Mediacom | 55.1% ±5.4 |
| Allamakee County | 8,456 | 75.9% | 94.8% | 25.0% | 2.2% | CenturyLink | 65.7% ±3.7 |
| Appanoose County | 8,216 | 78.4% | 90.1% | 38.9% | 3.2% | Liberty Communications | 56.6% ±4.0 |
| Audubon County | 3,790 | 59.2% | 66.5% | 33.4% | 12.8% | Kinetic | 59.4% ±3.7 |
| Benton County | 12,287 | 89.2% | 90.0% | 33.6% | 2.8% | USA COMMUNICATIONS | 74.0% ±2.1 |
| Black Hawk County | 50,791 | 94.7% | 98.8% | 82.3% | 0.3% | Mediacom | 73.6% ±1.4 |
| Boone County | 12,310 | 69.2% | 84.1% | 33.1% | 3.9% | CenturyLink | 68.6% ±2.8 |
| Bremer County | 10,776 | 97.2% | 97.8% | 56.4% | 0.7% | Mediacom | 76.1% ±2.7 |
| Buchanan County | 9,777 | 70.7% | 82.0% | 34.9% | 5.5% | Independence Telecommunications Utility | 69.1% ±1.5 |
| Buena Vista County | 9,073 | 10.7% | 66.4% | 36.9% | 0.5% | Evertek, Inc | 69.3% ±3.7 |
| Butler County | 7,775 | 86.2% | 94.7% | 25.3% | 1.7% | Dumont Telephone Company | 63.9% ±2.8 |
| Calhoun County | 5,983 | 69.0% | 77.7% | 50.9% | 4.2% | Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association | 65.4% ±2.5 |
| Carroll County | 10,495 | 86.7% | 89.3% | 49.1% | 1.7% | BTC, Inc. | 67.5% ±2.9 |
| Cass County | 7,182 | 57.3% | 91.5% | 10.9% | 2.9% | CenturyLink | 63.8% ±3.9 |
| Cedar County | 9,510 | 90.8% | 94.8% | 39.6% | 1.0% | Mediacom | 72.1% ±2.6 |
| Cerro Gordo County | 21,113 | 95.9% | 98.1% | 81.8% | 0.1% | Mediacom | 70.3% ±2.2 |
| Cherokee County | 6,608 | 63.2% | 91.9% | 8.1% | 0.9% | Evertek, Inc | 70.6% ±3.0 |
| Chickasaw County | 6,295 | 69.5% | 71.6% | 35.6% | 3.0% | Kinetic | 63.8% ±2.5 |
| Clarke County | 4,904 | 46.7% | 68.5% | 25.3% | 16.6% | Kinetic | 65.8% ±5.1 |
| Clay County | 8,348 | 89.8% | 95.2% | 53.3% | 0.2% | CenturyLink | 73.2% ±3.5 |
| Clayton County | 10,694 | 91.3% | 95.0% | 35.3% | 1.4% | Alpine Communications LLC | 64.2% ±2.7 |
| Clinton County | 21,147 | 83.9% | 93.6% | 62.2% | 0.9% | Mediacom | 69.3% ±2.6 |
| Crawford County | 8,223 | 63.4% | 74.3% | 28.1% | 8.5% | Nextlink Internet | 59.8% ±4.1 |
| Dallas County | 38,407 | 77.6% | 96.0% | 66.2% | 0.8% | Mediacom | 77.8% ±1.4 |
| Davis County | 4,714 | 99.5% | 99.5% | 27.8% | 0.4% | Citizens Mutual Telephone | 57.9% ±4.0 |
| Decatur County | 4,449 | 98.7% | 98.7% | 40.0% | 1.2% | Grand River Mutual Telephone Corporation | 68.2% ±3.6 |
| Delaware County | 9,646 | 63.8% | 72.4% | 31.2% | 4.5% | Comelec Internet Services | 60.1% ±3.7 |
| Des Moines County | 18,132 | 80.6% | 93.2% | 61.0% | 1.1% | Mediacom | 68.0% ±1.9 |
| Dickinson County | 14,247 | 99.2% | 99.2% | 82.1% | 0.2% | Premier Communications | 72.7% ±3.3 |
| Dubuque County | 38,527 | 75.9% | 94.5% | 62.0% | 0.8% | Mediacom | 71.6% ±1.5 |
| Emmet County | 5,379 | 93.4% | 93.4% | 62.2% | 1.0% | Estherville Communications LLC | 65.6% ±4.5 |
| Fayette County | 10,500 | 84.7% | 95.5% | 46.8% | 1.5% | Hawkeye Telephone | 61.1% ±2.3 |
| Floyd County | 7,764 | 52.5% | 87.3% | 13.7% | 3.8% | – | 64.2% ±3.6 |
| Franklin County | 5,875 | 64.1% | 66.0% | 42.5% | 7.6% | CenturyLink | 49.8% ±4.1 |
| Fremont County | 4,254 | 44.2% | 48.4% | 7.7% | 19.7% | Kinetic | 55.6% ±4.0 |
| Greene County | 5,155 | 89.5% | 91.1% | 1.0% | 2.4% | Jefferson Telephone Company | 73.4% ±2.7 |
| Grundy County | 6,166 | 64.1% | 78.1% | 56.2% | 1.7% | Mediacom | 64.1% ±2.8 |
| Guthrie County | 6,968 | 77.1% | 82.5% | 12.2% | 5.7% | Panora Telecommunications, Inc | 67.3% ±3.4 |
| Hamilton County | 7,833 | 92.2% | 92.2% | 52.5% | 1.9% | CenturyLink | 63.7% ±3.1 |
| Hancock County | 6,080 | 91.0% | 91.1% | 43.9% | 1.2% | Comm 1 Connects | 68.9% ±4.0 |
| Hardin County | 9,394 | 81.3% | 90.6% | 40.6% | 2.3% | CNS Internet Services | 59.9% ±3.0 |
| Harrison County | 8,157 | 25.5% | 47.8% | 13.3% | 9.9% | Kinetic | 61.2% ±3.4 |
| Henry County | 9,229 | 68.3% | 77.4% | 45.3% | 0.6% | Liberty Communications | 65.0% ±2.5 |
| Howard County | 5,310 | 60.0% | 82.9% | 32.3% | 3.1% | Kinetic | 63.3% ±3.7 |
| Humboldt County | 5,777 | 62.2% | 72.8% | 47.7% | 1.7% | Northwest Communications, Inc. | 66.5% ±3.5 |
| Ida County | 4,028 | 65.4% | 86.3% | 16.7% | 2.3% | Evertek, Inc | 55.4% ±3.9 |
| Iowa County | 8,389 | 87.7% | 90.3% | 47.6% | 2.5% | Mediacom | 68.0% ±3.4 |
| Jackson County | 10,523 | 90.4% | 91.0% | 45.6% | 1.4% | Bernard Telephone Company | 71.3% ±2.8 |
| Jasper County | 16,426 | 60.8% | 80.9% | 45.5% | 4.1% | Mediacom | 70.4% ±2.7 |
| Jefferson County | 8,001 | 75.7% | 78.6% | 51.5% | 1.4% | Liberty Communications | 67.6% ±3.9 |
| Johnson County | 45,837 | 89.0% | 98.8% | 76.4% | 0.2% | Mediacom | 79.2% ±1.5 |
| Jones County | 10,113 | 87.5% | 94.4% | 59.1% | 0.9% | CenturyLink | 67.9% ±3.1 |
| Keokuk County | 6,275 | 56.4% | 62.2% | 31.0% | 2.8% | Kinetic | 56.5% ±3.5 |
| Kossuth County | 8,870 | 53.0% | 80.5% | 41.9% | 1.8% | Northwest Communications, Inc. | 69.1% ±3.0 |
| Lee County | 16,646 | 59.1% | 75.7% | 48.0% | 8.3% | Mediacom | 64.0% ±2.6 |
| Linn County | 84,256 | 49.9% | 96.3% | 65.2% | 0.6% | Mediacom | 78.2% ±1.0 |
| Louisa County | 5,789 | 45.5% | 60.6% | 39.1% | 15.1% | Louisa Communications | 56.8% ±3.3 |
| Lucas County | 4,766 | 29.4% | 53.8% | 26.2% | 28.9% | Kinetic | 46.4% ±3.9 |
| Lyon County | 6,313 | 86.8% | 99.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | Premier Communications | 76.3% ±2.7 |
| Madison County | 7,935 | 40.3% | 75.3% | 3.2% | 6.9% | CenturyLink | 67.7% ±3.5 |
| Mahaska County | 10,403 | 84.5% | 85.5% | 58.4% | 4.3% | MCG | 65.7% ±2.9 |
| Marion County | 14,780 | 58.3% | 73.8% | 52.0% | 5.8% | Kinetic | 64.9% ±2.4 |
| Marshall County | 16,064 | 90.7% | 96.4% | 63.5% | 0.5% | Mediacom | 65.1% ±2.4 |
| Mills County | 7,317 | 96.4% | 97.4% | 31.5% | 1.8% | BTC, Inc. | 71.5% ±3.9 |
| Mitchell County | 5,857 | 52.7% | 86.6% | 39.7% | 4.3% | Osage Municipal Utilities | 70.7% ±2.8 |
| Monona County | 5,502 | 15.3% | 58.9% | 2.2% | 8.6% | Long Lines Metro, LLC | 57.5% ±3.6 |
| Monroe County | 4,756 | 58.9% | 79.7% | 35.0% | 12.0% | Kinetic | 48.5% ±5.6 |
| Montgomery County | 5,802 | 81.9% | 99.6% | 39.6% | 0.4% | FMTC of Stanton Iowa | 65.3% ±3.6 |
| Muscatine County | 17,578 | 78.1% | 79.3% | 9.0% | 2.7% | CenturyLink | 71.9% ±2.5 |
| O'Brien County | 7,818 | 88.7% | 90.1% | 11.7% | 0.1% | Evertek, Inc | 72.1% ±3.3 |
| Osceola County | 3,809 | 81.3% | 88.5% | 19.0% | 0.6% | Premier Communications | 59.3% ±3.6 |
| Page County | 7,734 | 96.6% | 97.3% | 68.3% | 1.8% | Farmers Telephone Company | 64.0% ±3.1 |
| Palo Alto County | 5,480 | 63.4% | 76.4% | 22.3% | 3.3% | Northwest Communications, Inc. | 73.6% ±3.4 |
| Plymouth County | 11,980 | 90.3% | 99.5% | 1.8% | 0.2% | Premier Communications | 70.4% ±3.2 |
| Pocahontas County | 4,995 | 48.5% | 65.9% | 26.3% | 1.2% | Northwest Communications, Inc. | 65.0% ±4.2 |
| Polk County | 165,335 | 91.6% | 98.6% | 88.6% | 0.2% | Mediacom | 76.2% ±0.9 |
| Pottawattamie County | 37,007 | 77.0% | 93.1% | 58.0% | 1.4% | Cox | 72.2% ±1.6 |
| Poweshiek County | 9,428 | 74.5% | 76.5% | 47.7% | 6.9% | Kinetic | 68.3% ±3.6 |
| Ringgold County | 3,897 | 6.0% | 40.8% | 7.0% | 10.9% | Kinetic | 56.5% ±5.4 |
| Sac County | 6,599 | 91.9% | 93.3% | 35.6% | 1.4% | Corn Belt Telephone | 63.7% ±3.5 |
| Scott County | 65,048 | 88.2% | 97.7% | 85.0% | 0.4% | Mediacom | 77.7% ±1.4 |
| Shelby County | 6,557 | 80.4% | 83.2% | 41.2% | 9.9% | Farmers Mutual Coop Telephone Co | 72.0% ±2.9 |
| Sioux County | 14,875 | 76.4% | 99.4% | 13.3% | 0.1% | Premier Communications | 77.6% ±2.3 |
| Story County | 29,153 | 86.1% | 95.4% | 67.5% | 0.7% | Mediacom | 69.4% ±1.6 |
| Tama County | 8,757 | 50.3% | 66.9% | 39.5% | 7.2% | Kinetic | 62.5% ±2.9 |
| Taylor County | 4,252 | 67.4% | 72.6% | 22.3% | 6.3% | Frontier | 59.5% ±3.6 |
| Union County | 6,396 | 54.4% | 82.9% | 30.7% | 5.9% | Kinetic | 64.9% ±3.9 |
| Van Buren County | 4,939 | 80.3% | 84.1% | 1.7% | 5.8% | Van Buren Telephone Co Inc | 51.9% ±4.6 |
| Wapello County | 16,281 | 75.5% | 98.3% | 56.4% | 0.7% | Mediacom | 63.2% ±2.7 |
| Warren County | 22,178 | 70.5% | 78.2% | 58.0% | 3.2% | CenturyLink | 71.3% ±1.9 |
| Washington County | 11,034 | 82.3% | 83.2% | 54.3% | 1.3% | Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company | 66.8% ±2.7 |
| Wayne County | 4,256 | 83.7% | 83.8% | 28.0% | 14.8% | Lockridge Networks | 52.1% ±4.9 |
| Webster County | 17,064 | 90.7% | 98.5% | 58.1% | 0.7% | Mediacom | 64.9% ±2.8 |
| Winnebago County | 5,493 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 41.6% | 0.0% | Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association | 74.3% ±3.7 |
| Winneshiek County | 9,771 | 47.4% | 84.1% | 12.3% | 6.5% | Mediacom | 64.1% ±2.7 |
| Woodbury County | 38,479 | 85.8% | 96.6% | 71.5% | 0.9% | Sparklight | 70.9% ±2.1 |
| Worth County | 4,095 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 45.3% | 0.0% | Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association | 73.9% ±3.4 |
| Wright County | 7,281 | 73.7% | 76.9% | 56.6% | 2.7% | Comm 1 Connects | 58.3% ±4.0 |
| Iowa | 1,365,029 | 77.5% | 90.4% | 55.8% | 2.2% | 71.4% |
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).
The wires are there; fewer households subscribe
Iowa's subscription figures sit low next to its coverage. In the Census Bureau's 2025 American Community Survey, 91.1% of Iowa households had a broadband subscription of any kind (margin of error ±0.5 percentage points), the 4th lowest share among the states, and 8.8% paid for no internet subscription at all, the 4th highest8. These ranks rest on survey estimates, and states close to Iowa in the ranking may not differ significantly. The broadband share has risen since 2019, when it was 83.9%9.
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) | 90.4% | |
| Households subscribing to cable, fiber or DSL (Census) | 71.7% | ±0.6 |
| Households relying only on a cellular data plan | 14.1% | ±0.5 |
| Households with no internet subscription | 8.8% | ±0.5 |
Subscription is lowest among older and lower-income Iowans. 86.3% of people 65 and older lived in a household with a computer and a broadband subscription, the 8th lowest share, and 77.5% of households earning under $20,000 had broadband, also 4th lowest. 14.1%8 of households rely only on a cellular data plan.
The map has no prices, and this page gives none. In NTIA's 2023 Internet Use Survey, 58.6% of Iowa households that did not use the internet at home said they did not need it or were not interested, and 13.1%10 named cost; both are estimates with wide margins of error. When the Affordable Connectivity Program stopped enrolling in February 2024, 124,05411 Iowa households were signed up; the program ended on June 1, 2024. The federal Lifeline discount continues, with 34,46812 Iowa subscribers counted by USAC.
BEAD in Iowa: half fiber, two-fifths fixed wireless
Iowa's plan under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program uses less than half of the state's allocation: 37,634 locations for $182.3 million of BEAD money, or $4,844 each, plus $106.1 million13 from the providers. The state's allocation is $415.3 million14; the Iowa Department of Management's broadband office administers it.
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 | 50.8% |
| Cable | 0.0% |
| Fixed wireless | 39.6% |
| Low-Earth-orbit satellite | 9.5% |
| Other | 0.1% |
50.8% of the plan's locations (19,136) are to get fiber, 39.6% (14,910) fixed wireless and 9.5% (3,588) low-Earth-orbit satellite. $233.0 million13 of the allocation is not assigned to construction; how that money may be used was not settled as of November 2026. Earlier programs are listed below, including the Treasury's Capital Projects Fund ($152.2 million15) and the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, under which 19,55016 locations were reported as built.
| Program | Amount | As of |
|---|---|---|
| BEAD allocation (NTIA, announced June 26, 2023) | $415,331,313 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: locations to be connected | 37,634 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: deployment cost | $182,302,422 | |
| BEAD cost per location | $4,844 | |
| BEAD allocation not assigned to deployment | $233,028,891 | |
| Treasury Capital Projects Fund allocation | $152,176,435 | |
| RDOF: locations built with support (cumulative) | 19,550 | |
| USDA ReConnect grants reported to USAspending | $6,496,629 | |
| Lifeline subscribers claimed | 34,468 | |
| Lifeline participation rate | 15.2% | |
| Households in the Affordable Connectivity Program, February 2024 | 124,054 |
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.
Questions and answers
What internet providers serve Iowa?
By reported reach, leaving out satellite, the largest are T-Mobile (67.3% of locations, licensed fixed wireless), Mediacom (58.5%, mostly cable), Verizon (57.9%, licensed fixed wireless), CenturyLink (44.2%, mostly DSL) and AT&T (34.2%). The largest fiber network is Metronet, at 21.4% of locations; 1821 companies report fiber somewhere in the state.
How much of Iowa has fiber internet?
As of June 30, 2026, at least one provider reported fiber at 77.5% of Iowa's homes and businesses, against 62.6% nationally. County shares run from 100.0% in Winnebago County to 6.0%1 in Ringgold County. Whether a given address has it can only be checked on the FCC's National Broadband Map.
How many homes in Iowa lack broadband?
29,698 homes and businesses (2.2%) had no reliable wired or licensed fixed wireless service of 25/3 Mbps as of June 30, 2026; the FCC counts locations, not people. Most are in a few southern counties: Adams and Lucas are both unserved at 28.9%. Another 30,8461 locations had reliable service below 100/20.
Is there cheap or low-income internet in Iowa?
Iowa's many local fiber companies each set their own prices, and no official source compares them; the FCC map has none. A provider's broadband facts label shows each plan's price and fees. The federal Lifeline discount, $9.25 a month for eligible households, had 34,46812 Iowa subscribers; the Affordable Connectivity Program ended on June 1, 2024.
How much BEAD money does Iowa get?
Iowa received $415.3 million14. Its approved plan connects 37,634 locations for $182.3 million, relying more on fixed wireless (39.6%) than most states, and leaves $233.0 million13 unassigned.
Checking one address in Iowa
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 Iowa
Large cities with their own page: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport.
Neighboring states: Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Put Iowa side by side with any state or large city in the comparison tool.
| Ranking | Value | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber internet availability by state | 77.5% | 8th of 51 |
| Internet speed by state: where gigabit service is offered | 82.0% | 10th of 51 |
| Broadband coverage by state | 90.4% | 31st of 51 |
| Internet provider competition by state | 55.8% | 23rd of 51 |
| Unserved and underserved broadband locations by state | 2.2% | 27th of 51 |
| Where fiber has grown since 2022 | 33.0% | 14th of 51 |
| 5G home internet and licensed fixed wireless by state | 86.4% | 30th of 51 |
| Households with an internet subscription by state | 91.1% | 48th of 51 |
| BEAD broadband funding by state | 4,844.0% | 25th 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
- 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
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. www2.census.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, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. api.census.gov
- 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
- 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
- Universal Service Administrative Co., Lifeline Disbursements; Support months 2018-01 to 2026-09. opendata.usac.org
- 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
- USAC, Lifeline participation rate; released August 17, 2026. www.usac.org
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.