U.S. internet connection speed lags behind other advanced nations; Arklatex even further behind
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: December 20, 2010
New research from the Communications Workers of America (CWA) indicates that nearly half (49 percent) U.S. residents’ Internet connection speeds fall below the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) minimum broadband speed standard.
The fourth annual nationwide 2010 CWA Speed Matters Speed Test of real-time Internet connection speeds continues to show the U.S. lagging behind global peers. Ranking 28th in the world. The United States has a long way to go to catch up to countries like South Korea, Japan or Sweden that have download speeds many times faster.
In addition to the country-by-country survey, the CWA measured state-by-state rank in the United States.
In the Arklatex, only Louisiana ranked above the 50 percent mark in internet speed, leading Texas’ 51 percent and Arkansas’ 63 percent.
Between 2009 and 2010, the median download speed has only increased in the United States by .5 mbps, while the median upload speed has barely increased from 487 kbps to 595 kbps. At the current rate of improvement, it will take the United States 60 years to catch up with current Internet speeds in South Korea, the country that boasts the fastest average Internet connections in the world.
In the past four years, little progress has been made on improving internet speeds in the United States. Broadband access opens digital doors, and is essential for the American economy to grow and maintain its global competitiveness, to realize America’s promise of equal opportunity, and to build sustainable communities.
The Speed Test, a full list of 2010 state rankings and a comparison to 2009 data are available at www.speedmatters.org
