DSL broadband technology
FCC Form 477 technology code 10: 3,690,571 census-block deployment records nationwide. Filing volume and state reach are separate measurements.
Filing volume rank is not state-reach rank
DSL ranks #5 of 10 FCC technology codes by census-block records, and #3 of 10 by number of states with at least one filing (53 states).
- #5
- of 10 tech codes by records
- 3,690,571
- total deployment records
- #3
- of 10 tech codes by state reach
- 53
- states with >=1 filing
Filing volume (records) and state reach (how many states report the technology at all) are different measurements - a technology can lead one and trail the other.
DSL vs all FCC technology codes by filing volume
Where this technology's Form 477 record count sits among every technology code on PlainBroadband
3,690,571 5th of 10 higher than 5 of 10 technology codes
Technology codes, banded by nationwide deployment-record count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more technology codes. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FCC Form 477 fixed broadband deployment · June 2020
Top states for DSL by reported deployment records
FCC Form 477 fixed broadband deployment data (June 2020 status)
California leads DSL filings with 369,936 records ; Texas is second at 337,366. Counts are provider-by-census-block filings for technology code 10, not subscriber totals.
About DSL
Asymmetric DSL (ADSL) provides internet over copper phone lines, with faster download than upload speeds. DSL was one of the earliest broadband technologies and remains available in many areas, though speeds are generally lower than cable or fiber.
DSL state-reach reading
DSL opens on state reach: #3 of 10 codes by states with ≥1 filing (53 states), with 3,690,571 records behind that footprint. FCC technology code 10 is a copper / DSL family label in Form 477.
DSL sits in the middle third of Form 477 technology codes by record volume (2,618,693–3,788,469). Mid-pack codes often mix real competition pockets with sparse rural filings under the same technology label.
The lead state (California) holds 10.0% of DSL filings (369,936 records). That is a moderate peak: several states still move the national total. Form 477 historically let providers mark a whole census block from a single reachable address; treat these counts as declared capability, not address-level availability, speed, or price.
Technologies near DSL on state reach
Peer codes for DSL by state/territory reach first in the second panel; the first panel still shows nearest record-volume neighbours (record floor ≥1,000, state floor ≥5).
Similar deployment-record volume
Nearest technology codes by total records (3,690,571 here).
Similar state/territory reach
Nearest codes by states with filings (53 here), excluding the record-volume set.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with DSL filings
3,690,571 records is filing volume, not proof of active service at any one address.
- Compare DSL against ADSL2+, a similarly-filed technology, before drawing conclusions from volume alone. Compare to ADSL2+
- See which states report the most DSL filings and how coverage concentrates. Browse by state
- Find your own speed tier and what technology mix typically delivers it. Speed tier finder
Figures are FCC Form 477 fixed-deployment data as of June 2020, the final Form 477 release, self-reported by census block. For current, address-level availability, use the FCC National Broadband Map.
PlainBroadband is rendered directly from the FCC Form 477 fixed broadband deployment dataset (June 2020 status, the final Form 477 release), no number is typed in by an editor. This technology's coverage figures are computed directly from the underlying FCC Form 477 census-block records, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2020.