Public libraries are major points of internet access, combining public Wi-Fi, computers, technology lending, and digital-literacy help. In the weighted 2023 Public Library Technology Survey, fielded in fall 2023, 99.4% of U.S. public libraries reported offering patron Wi-Fi. The same survey found wide differences in fiber access, subscribed speeds, off-site hotspot lending, and local technology support.
Table of contents
- Library Wi-Fi and fiber access
- Public library connection speeds
- Broadband standards and patron experience
- Hotspots, devices, and mobile services
- Digital literacy and online support
- Barriers, staffing, and technology funding
Library Wi-Fi and fiber access
The most widespread library internet service is patron Wi-Fi. The 2023 Public Library Technology Survey reported that 99.4% of U.S. public libraries offered it in fall 2023. Wi-Fi availability was 100.0% in both city and suburban public libraries, while 99.2% of town/rural public libraries offered the service. These figures describe whether a library offered patron Wi-Fi, not the speed, coverage area, hours, or number of simultaneous users.
Fiber-optic public-access connections were less universal. Overall, 74.8% of U.S. public libraries reported a fiber-optic public-access Internet connection. The share was 86.6% among city libraries and 78.6% among suburban libraries. Town/rural libraries reported fiber access at 72.8%.
| Library locale | Fiber-optic public-access connection | Patron Wi-Fi access |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. public libraries | 74.8% | 99.4% |
| City public libraries | 86.6% | 100.0% |
| Suburban public libraries | 78.6% | 100.0% |
| Town/rural public libraries | 72.8% | 99.2% |
Source: 2023 Public Library Technology Survey: Summary Report, fall 2023.
The difference between near-universal Wi-Fi and lower fiber availability is important when interpreting library internet access statistics. A Wi-Fi network can be available to patrons even when the underlying connection uses another technology. Fiber access is one infrastructure measure; it does not, by itself, establish the quality of a patron’s wireless experience.
Public library connection speeds
Subscribed speeds and observed speed tests measure different parts of library internet access. Across U.S. public libraries, the average subscribed public-access download speed was 504 Mbps in fall 2023, while the average subscribed upload speed was 441 Mbps. City libraries reported an average subscribed download speed of 1,278 Mbps. The corresponding town/rural average was 359 Mbps.
The survey also reported observed tests from public-access connections. Wired public-access speed tests averaged 241 Mbps download and 171 Mbps upload across U.S. public libraries. Wi-Fi tests averaged 122 Mbps download and 88 Mbps upload. These observed averages are not equivalent to subscribed averages: a subscription describes the service purchased, while a speed test reflects a measured connection under particular conditions.
| Measure | U.S. public libraries | City libraries | Town/rural libraries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average subscribed download | 504 Mbps | 1,278 Mbps | 359 Mbps |
| Average wired test download | 241 Mbps | Not reported | Not reported |
| Average Wi-Fi test download | 122 Mbps | Not reported | Not reported |
The contrast between 504 Mbps in average subscribed download capacity and 122 Mbps in average Wi-Fi test download should not be treated as a single before-and-after performance calculation. The report identifies the speed figures as different measures, and the test averages reflect actual observed connections rather than the full subscribed rate.
Broadband standards and patron experience
The survey used two FCC reference points that must be kept separate. At the time of the fall 2023 survey, the former FCC broadband standard was 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. The FCC revised the standard to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload in March 2024. The survey’s comparison with the newer standard is therefore a later benchmark applied to fall 2023 measurements, not a 2024 or 2026 library measurement.
Against the former 25/3 Mbps threshold, 5.4% of public libraries subscribed to download speeds below 25 Mbps, and 2.1% subscribed to upload speeds below 3 Mbps. Overall, 5.6% had a subscribed download and/or upload speed below that former threshold.
Using the newer 100/20 Mbps benchmark, 25.1% of public libraries subscribed to download speeds below 100 Mbps, 12.9% subscribed to upload speeds below 20 Mbps, and 28.4% had a subscribed download and/or upload speed below the newer threshold. These percentages indicate how the benchmark changes the classification of the same fall 2023 subscribed-speed data.
Libraries’ own assessments of patron needs were generally positive, but not uniform. In fall 2023, 90.4% said public-computer Internet speeds often met patron needs, while 7.0% said they sometimes met needs and 1.1% said they rarely did. For Wi-Fi, 86.2% said speeds often met patron needs, 11.8% said they sometimes did, and 1.2% said they rarely did.
Those responses describe reported frequency categories rather than a technical speed threshold. A library can have a high subscribed speed and still experience Wi-Fi congestion, coverage limitations, device constraints, or demand spikes that affect patrons at particular times.
Hotspots, devices, and mobile services
Internet access at a library building is only one part of public connectivity. In fall 2023, 46.9% of U.S. public libraries circulated Internet hotspots for off-site patron use. Hotspot lending was more common among city libraries, at 64.0%, and was reported by 36.5% of town/rural libraries.
Libraries also circulated other technology for use away from the building. The survey found that 24.8% circulated laptops, 28.9% circulated early-learning devices, and 22.3% circulated recreational technology for off-site use. Streaming devices were circulated by 6.9% of public libraries. These categories are separate reported offerings; they do not indicate the number of devices available, loan duration, or total circulation volume.
Mobile access to library services was common in several forms. A total of 83.3% of public libraries had websites optimized for mobile devices, and 85.1% offered vendor-delivered mobile apps for library services. Scanned codes such as QR codes for mobile access to library services were offered by 51.3%.
Together, these figures show several ways libraries extend access beyond a public computer session: a patron may connect through in-building Wi-Fi, borrow a hotspot or device, or use a mobile website or app. The survey does not establish that every library offering one service offered the others, so the percentages should not be added together.
Digital literacy and online support
Internet access often depends on more than a connection. In fall 2023, 95.3% of public libraries offered at least one formal or informal digital-literacy training type. For Internet-use training specifically, 54.5% offered informal training and 3.6% offered formal training. A separate 34.5% offered both formal and informal training on Internet use.
The survey also measured other technology-learning formats. General computer hardware or software training, in both formal and informal forms, was offered by 38.8% of public libraries. Both formal and informal web-development or digital-content training were offered by 5.8%. Both formal and informal coding or maker-technology training were offered by 12.6%.
Libraries used online programming and navigation support as well. During the prior 12 months covered by the report’s formal technology-enabled programs question, 41.1% of public libraries formally offered live online public programs or discussion forums. Another 15.7% formally offered live online classes or job training, while 9.7% formally offered home-broadband-adoption services.
Repeated one-to-one help was less widespread than having at least one training type. A digital-navigator program or equivalent repeated-interaction support was reported by 29.7% of public libraries. Staff dedicated to assisting patrons as digital navigators were reported by 12.1%. The distinction matters: a program can exist without a dedicated staff position, and the survey’s categories do not measure the number of sessions or patrons served.
Barriers, staffing, and technology funding
Library internet access can be constrained by costs, contracts, local infrastructure, or decision-making outside the library. In fall 2023, 30.5% of public libraries said they could not afford the cost of increasing bandwidth for faster speeds. A faster speed was unavailable in the service area for 30.4%, while 34.9% said a city, county, or other entity influenced bandwidth decisions. Contract restrictions, including E-rate contracts, were reported by 40.1%.
Technology support also came from multiple staffing models. Only 20.7% of public libraries had full-time library IT staff. Consortium, system, or other administrative-entity support was reported by 47.5%, and 46.9% used contracted IT support. A further 3.3% selected no IT-support option, indicating no IT support staff of any type in the survey response.
Funding arrangements were similarly varied. A budget line or designated funding for public-access technology was reported by 60.8% of public libraries. Federal E-rate outside the operating budget was used for technology needs by 48.1%.
These barriers and support models help explain why internet access statistics should not be reduced to a single speed number. A library may offer Wi-Fi while facing limits on bandwidth upgrades, depend on a regional technology structure, or use external funding for public-access equipment. The survey measured administrative entities, not individual patron outcomes, and 1,511 libraries completed it; response counts varied by question. Locale categories were city, suburban, and town/rural, and the reported speed figures were subscribed averages or observed speed-test averages rather than equivalent measures.