ChooseISP uses official government broadband data to determine which internet providers serve your address. Here's exactly where that data comes from, how we process it, and what its limitations are.
Our coverage data comes from the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map, built from provider-submitted Form 477 filings. Under FCC rules, every internet service provider operating in the United States must report the locations where they offer broadband service, down to the individual street address level.
The FCC collects this data twice per year (as of 2024–2026), in June and December. Providers submit their coverage data and the FCC publishes it publicly at broadbandmap.fcc.gov.
We download and process the latest available dataset and load it into our lookup database. Our current dataset reflects FCC data through March 2026.
You enter a street address, city, state, and ZIP code into the search form.
We send your address to the US Census Bureau Geocoder API (a free, privacy-respecting government service) to convert it into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). We do not send your address to third-party commercial geocoding services.
We use the coordinates to query the FCC broadband dataset, identifying which providers have filed coverage for that specific location. We retrieve each provider's reported technology type (cable, fiber, DSL, fixed wireless, satellite) and maximum advertised speeds.
We display all providers found in FCC data for your address, along with their reported technology and speed tiers. Where available, we supplement with publicly listed plan pricing from each provider's website.
FCC broadband data is the most comprehensive public source for ISP availability, but it has known limitations you should understand:
Providers tell the FCC where they serve — the FCC does not independently verify every address. Some providers have historically over-reported coverage (claiming to serve areas they cannot actually connect). The FCC's challenge process allows consumers to dispute incorrect coverage claims, but over-reporting remains a known issue in some markets.
Earlier FCC datasets (pre-2023) reported coverage at the census block level — if any address in a block was served, all were counted as covered. The current Fabric-based dataset (2023–present) reports at the individual location level, which is significantly more accurate. We use the location-level data.
Since providers file twice per year and the FCC takes time to publish the results, the data you see may be up to 9 months old. Networks expand frequently — a provider may have extended service to your address after the last filing date.
Bottom line: Always confirm availability directly with the provider before ordering service. Our results tell you who is likely to serve your address — not who is guaranteed to.
Speed data (download/upload Mbps) is the maximum advertised speed that providers have reported to the FCC for each technology type at your address. Actual speeds depend on network conditions, equipment, and distance from infrastructure.
Pricing shown is derived from publicly available plan listings from each provider's website and is updated periodically. Prices are estimates — ISPs change rates frequently, and introductory pricing, equipment fees, and contract terms affect your actual monthly cost. Always verify current pricing on the provider's website before ordering.
We update our FCC dataset when new data is released by the agency (approximately twice per year). The data version currently loaded is noted in our site footer. When a new dataset becomes available, we process and deploy it within two weeks of FCC publication.
If you believe our data is incorrect for your address — for example, if a provider is shown as available but cannot actually connect your location — you can contact us or file a challenge directly with the FCC at broadbandmap.fcc.gov.
When you look up your address, we send it to the US Census Bureau Geocoder for coordinate resolution — no other third parties receive your address. We do not store full street addresses in our database after the lookup is complete. See our Privacy Policy for full details on what we retain.