According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in 2019, 94.2% of Americans had access to fixed broadband internet service. However, the remaining 5.8% of the population, or about 18 million people, did not have access to fixed broadband internet service at speeds of at least 25 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. This “broadband gap” is most prevalent in rural areas, where the cost of building out broadband infrastructure is higher and the population density is lower.