U.S. Lags Behind Latvia in Broadband Speeds
Internet connection speeds are the modern day weather; conversations about upload speeds are just as common as comments about last night's thunderstorm. USA Today writes that a new report from the Communications Workers of America (CWA) reveals that broadband speeds are significantly faster in some areas than in others.
The average download speed for the U.S., reports CWA, is 5.2 megabits per second, but that could be drastically slower depending on where you live. Delaware has the fastest connection of any state, with an average of 9.9 megabits per second, while Alaska and Montana lag behind with a 2.3 average.
Why the vast difference? Much of it is due to the dispersed nature of the physical infrastructure of the Internet in the U.S. Telecom companies have consistently reserved faster speeds and better service for larger, more populated areas.
The average download speed for the U.S., reports CWA, is 5.2 megabits per second, but that could be drastically slower depending on where you live. Delaware has the fastest connection of any state, with an average of 9.9 megabits per second, while Alaska and Montana lag behind with a 2.3 average.
Why the vast difference? Much of it is due to the dispersed nature of the physical infrastructure of the Internet in the U.S. Telecom companies have consistently reserved faster speeds and better service for larger, more populated areas.
In a worldwide comparison by Speedtest.net, which CWA cites in its study, the U.S. (which averages 6.8 mbps in Speedtest's calculation) is the slowest country of the 29 surveyed. That's right. Dead last. South Korea is in the lead with a staggering 20.4 megabits per second, its average citizen being able to download a full-length movie in a matter of seconds. Japan and Sweden are also (unsurprisingly) better connected than us, and even Latvia is twice as fast with an impressive 12.4 average.
According to USA Today, the FCC is developing a "national broadband strategy," devoting $7 billion to encourage broadband expansion. [From: USA Today]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mayabelle1107 said 10:23AM on 8-26-2009
You can thank the "equal internet for all" legislation that this administration is pushing through. It prohibits increasing broad band speed to rural areas that pay for it without giving it to urban areas that don't. Welcome to the USSA. There has been a concerted effort on the part of the liberals in this country to limit progress, unless it includes even those that have little concern for it and obviously nothing to do with its development. Look at our schools, dumbing down of America. If you have one child in the class that doesn't like the cirriculum, or can't comprehend as well, the whole class will suffer for the one's sake. This Anti-Darwinian philosophy of let's screw the herd for the lame cow's sake, is anti-human. If you can't help yourself how the hell are you going to help anyone else?
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SSG Monty said 1:18PM on 8-26-2009
Agreed mayabelle.
However I would like to know how this averages out due to the population with access to the internet in these countries. That seems a fair comparison to be made seeing that the more people in the same broadband network affects the speed at which that network services individual connections.
Logically, a state like Delaware with a lower population than most (not all) of the country would have the fastest speeds. Meanwhile, I will concede that infrastructure also plays a humongous role in the matter with respects to Alaska.
Beyond that, who is really against faster internet connections? Except maybe the MPAA.
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