The Median U.S. Broadband Speed? South Korea’s Divided by Four.
by John Paczkowski
Posted on August 26, 2009 at 5:41 AM PT
In South Korea, the average broadband download speed is 20.4 megabits per second. In Japan, it is 15.8 mbps. In Sweden, it’s 12.8 mbps. In The Netherlands, it’s 11 mbps.
And in the United States, the country that invented the Internet? It’s 5.1.
This according to a new study by the Communications Workers of America, which found that broadband speeds in the States are among the slowest of the 29 countries it surveyed. “Between 2007 and 2009, the average download speed in the United States has increased by only 1.6 megabits per second (mbps), from 3.5 mbps in 2007 to 5.1 mbps in 2009,” the CWA explains in its report. “At this rate, it will take the United States 15 years to catch up with current Internet speeds in South Korea, the country with the fastest average Internet connections.”
And no wonder: 18 percent of Internet connections in the States that the CWA surveyed revealed download speeds slower than 768 kilobits per second, which doesn’t even qualify as basic broadband according to the Federal Communications Commission’s definition.
That may soon change, now that the country has adopted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes a provision for a national broadband plan by spring of 2010 and grants of $7.2 billion to bring high-speed Internet to the hinterlands. But it will be slow going. It’s a long way from 5.1 mbps to 20.4.
Comments
Having moved from Europe to the US I have thought about this many times and wondered what why it is so. I really think this is hurting the competitiveness of the country. It seems home connections are okay but what the pricing for companies and the services offered is stone age like and we are even located in New York. If you look at what the cell phone companies are offering the picture is even worse.
Claus
Posted by Claus Rodgaard at August 26th, 2009 at 8:53 amCOO VerticPortals
Socialized broadband!
Demagogues rejoice! There’s another “liberal” cause to demonize.
Broadband pipe owners hunker down to come up with a plan to squeeze more blood from their proverbial turnips (American customers) before reason takes hold at the FCC and in Congress.
Posted by Eric Welch at August 26th, 2009 at 8:53 am