DSL internet: where copper lines are still offered, and how fast

How the FCC records DSL

Every figure on this page counts broadband serviceable locations, the houses, apartment buildings and small businesses on the FCC's list, as of June 30, 2026 (FCC revision of November 10, 2026). A location has DSL when a provider files that it offers internet over copper telephone wire there, FCC technology code 10, or could connect it within ten business days. Anyone who finds a listing wrong can challenge it on the FCC map.

Two limits apply. A filing says nothing about subscribers: the Census Bureau's American Community Survey asks about broadband subscriptions but cannot separate DSL from cable or fiber. And a speed in the filing is the fastest the provider advertises at that location, not a test result. Our methodology gives the full definitions.

A Western and Midwestern technology

DSL is reported at 41,929,861 locations nationally. The share is highest in the interior West: 72.2% of locations in New Mexico, 66.3% in Wyoming, 64.4% in Arizona, 61.4% in Montana and 58.9% in Alaska. Along parts of the East Coast it has almost disappeared from the filings. Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Delaware show 0.0%, 0.0% and 0.0%¹, although DSL was reported at 23.6%, 22.0% and 27.1%² of their locations in June 2022.

DSL is not only a rural product. Among the 343 largest US cities, the highest share is in Albuquerque, where DSL is reported at 91.3% of locations, 1.0 percentage points more than in 2022. Rochester, Minnesota (89.5%), Davenport (89.2%) and Cedar Rapids (88.3%) follow. In these cities DSL is rarely the only wire: cable is reported at 99.4% of Albuquerque's locations and 95.9% of Rochester's, and fiber at 94.3%¹ of Davenport's.

Albuquerque, New Mexico91.3%

Deltona, Florida90.2%

Rochester, Minnesota89.5%

Davenport, Iowa89.2%

Cedar Rapids, Iowa88.3%

Longmont, Colorado86.1%

Rio Rancho, New Mexico86.0%

Sterling Heights, Michigan85.2%

Simi Valley, California84.9%

Naperville, Illinois84.9%

Greeley, Colorado84.8%

Glendale, Arizona84.7%

Tallahassee, Florida84.3%

Billings, Montana83.7%

Las Cruces, New Mexico83.5%

United States36.2%

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.

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Large city	DSL available
Albuquerque, New Mexico	91.3%
Deltona, Florida	90.2%
Rochester, Minnesota	89.5%
Davenport, Iowa	89.2%
Cedar Rapids, Iowa	88.3%
Longmont, Colorado	86.1%
Rio Rancho, New Mexico	86.0%
Sterling Heights, Michigan	85.2%
Simi Valley, California	84.9%
Naperville, Illinois	84.9%
Greeley, Colorado	84.8%
Glendale, Arizona	84.7%
Tallahassee, Florida	84.3%
Billings, Montana	83.7%
Las Cruces, New Mexico	83.5%
United States	36.2%

The county map gives the finer grain, from counties where the copper footprint covers nearly every location to counties with almost none.

Under 20%20% to 40%40% to 60%60% to 80%80% or more

Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people. The table lists the 25 highest and 25 lowest counties; every county is in the downloads.

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County	DSL available
Davie County, North Carolina	100.0%
Bledsoe County, Tennessee	99.3%
Baker County, Florida	97.5%
Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska	97.0%
Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska	94.1%
Sequatchie County, Tennessee	93.9%
Los Alamos County, New Mexico	92.6%
Baylor County, Texas	92.4%
Mineral County, Montana	92.3%
Tillman County, Oklahoma	92.2%
Greenlee County, Arizona	91.9%
Monroe County, Illinois	91.0%
Big Horn County, Wyoming	90.9%
Fremont County, Idaho	90.3%
Craig County, Virginia	89.3%
Douglas County, Washington	89.3%
Floyd County, Virginia	89.1%
Blaine County, Oklahoma	89.1%
Bernalillo County, New Mexico	89.1%
Isanti County, Minnesota	88.2%
Real County, Texas	88.2%
Ellis County, Oklahoma	87.3%
Yadkin County, North Carolina	86.9%
Sweetwater County, Wyoming	85.9%
Santa Fe County, New Mexico	85.8%
Emporia city, Virginia	0.0%
Fairfax city, Virginia	0.0%
Falls Church city, Virginia	0.0%
Franklin city, Virginia	0.0%
Fredericksburg city, Virginia	0.0%
Hampton city, Virginia	0.0%
Harrisonburg city, Virginia	0.0%
Hopewell city, Virginia	0.0%
Manassas city, Virginia	0.0%
Manassas Park city, Virginia	0.0%
Newport News city, Virginia	0.0%
Norfolk city, Virginia	0.0%
Norton city, Virginia	0.0%
Petersburg city, Virginia	0.0%
Poquoson city, Virginia	0.0%
Portsmouth city, Virginia	0.0%
Radford city, Virginia	0.0%
Richmond city, Virginia	0.0%
Roanoke city, Virginia	0.0%
Salem city, Virginia	0.0%
Staunton city, Virginia	0.0%
Suffolk city, Virginia	0.0%
Williamsburg city, Virginia	0.0%
Winchester city, Virginia	0.0%
Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska	0.0%

The companies that still file DSL

402 brands report DSL somewhere in the country, but the footprint is concentrated. AT&T files DSL at 23.3 million locations, 20.1% of all US locations, and fiber at a nearly equal 23.5 million. CenturyLink follows at 9.7 million, then Brightspeed (3.0 million), Frontier (2.0 million) and Kinetic (1.4 million¹). Below them are regional and cooperative telephone companies such as Consolidated Communications and TDS.

CenturyLink's filing is now almost all copper: DSL at 9,748,481 of its 9,883,745¹ locations. Its parent company Lumen said in a February 2, 2026 release filed with the SEC that it had completed the sale of its consumer fiber business, including Quantum Fiber, to AT&T and was keeping its copper-based consumer services. In the FCC data, CenturyLink's fiber footprint changed by −3,007,007⁵ locations between December 2025 and June 2026. Brightspeed's DSL network also came from Lumen: in October 2022 Lumen closed the sale of its local phone operations in 20 states to the company.

Wide reach, few lines at 100/20

The FCC's benchmark for broadband is 100 Mbps download with 20 Mbps upload. Measured against it, DSL filings split sharply by company:

• AT&T reports DSL at 100/20 or more at 2,274,276 of its 23.3 million DSL locations; its fastest advertised DSL tier is 100 Mbps.
• CenturyLink reports it at 453,219 of 9.7 million, Kinetic at 249,948 of 1.4 million.
• Brightspeed reports it at 1,022 of 3.0 million, and Frontier at 10 of 2.0 million, even though their fastest DSL tiers are 140 Mbps and 200 Mbps.
• TDS reports no DSL at 100/20; its fastest DSL tier is 50 Mbps¹.

A provider's top tier is the best it advertises anywhere, not what most of its copper lines can carry. The gap shows up in the states where DSL is most common. CenturyLink reports service at 68.1% of New Mexico's locations but 100/20 Mbps at 3.7%; in Wyoming the figures are 59.8% and 1.7%, in Arizona 60.7% and 4.7%. In Albuquerque CenturyLink reports service at 93.0% of locations and 100/20 at 7.7%¹.

The distinction also decides how a location is classed for the federal BEAD program. Under the definitions in our methodology, DSL at 100/20 or more can make a location served, as fiber and cable can; DSL below that speed cannot, however many copper lines reach the building. The fiber and cable pages cover the networks that make up most of the served count.

Four years of retreat

Between June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2026, the national DSL share fell 18.6 percentage points, from 54.8%² to 36.2%; 1.2 percentage points of that drop came in the last six months. Over the same four years the fiber share rose 25.4 percentage points¹.

June 30, 2022December 31, 2025June 30, 2026

DSL available36.2% −18.6 pts

Fiber available62.6% +25.4 pts

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.

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Measure	June 30, 2022	December 31, 2025	June 30, 2026	Change (points)
DSL available	54.8%	37.4%	36.2%	−18.6 pts
Fiber available	37.2%	59.9%	62.6%	25.4 pts

The fall was steepest in the East. Connecticut's DSL share dropped 49.1 percentage points, from 62.5% to 13.4%, and West Virginia's 42.8 percentage points, from 57.9%² to 15.1%. In both states Frontier reports service at most locations (80.3% in Connecticut, 48.3% in West Virginia), and it now reports fiber at 76.4% of Connecticut's locations and 35.0%¹ of West Virginia's. The filings show copper listings giving way to fiber listings; they do not record whether the copper lines themselves were switched off.

United States−18.6 pts

Arkansas−22.0 pts

Rhode Island−22.0 pts

Massachusetts−23.5 pts

Ohio−24.1 pts

Oregon−24.9 pts

Delaware−27.1 pts

Virginia−27.4 pts

Maryland−28.5 pts

Maine−32.2 pts

Pennsylvania−33.1 pts

Washington−34.1 pts

New York−34.9 pts

New Jersey−35.2 pts

West Virginia−42.8 pts

Connecticut−49.1 pts

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	DSL available: change since June 30, 2022
United States	−18.6 pts
Arkansas	−22.0 pts
Rhode Island	−22.0 pts
Massachusetts	−23.5 pts
Ohio	−24.1 pts
Oregon	−24.9 pts
Delaware	−27.1 pts
Virginia	−27.4 pts
Maryland	−28.5 pts
Maine	−32.2 pts
Pennsylvania	−33.1 pts
Washington	−34.1 pts
New York	−34.9 pts
New Jersey	−35.2 pts
West Virginia	−42.8 pts
Connecticut	−49.1 pts

In the interior West and the northern Plains the share barely moved. New Mexico's fell by 2.2 percentage points, Montana's by 1.2 percentage points and South Dakota's by 0.3 percentage points, and Wyoming's was essentially unchanged (0.0 percentage points). North Dakota is the only state where it rose, by 0.6 percentage points¹. Each state page has its own DSL figure and providers.

What DSL can and cannot tell a buyer

A DSL listing at an address means a provider files that it can install service there; the advertised tier filed for that address is the figure to check. The FCC data contain no prices, no speed tests and no latency, and they cannot say whether the copper line to one building is in good condition. Prices belong to each provider's broadband facts label.

Where no wired provider reports 100/20, the remaining options are wireless. Licensed fixed wireless, which includes 5G home internet, is reported at 87.3%¹ of US locations; the fixed wireless page shows where. Satellite service is reported almost everywhere.