Internet Speeds: USA vs The World

The global ranking for American Internet speeds has continued to rise over the years, but nearly a third of the country doesn’t reach the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) definition of minimum broadband speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps.

America’s Internet Speed Ranking

Less than a decade ago the U.S. had an average download speed of just 31 Mbps. In 2013, America ranked 25th of 39 nations for broadband speed.

Since then there have been incredible improvements. According to a report by Ookla’s Speedtest.net, as of September 2021, America has access to a download speed of around 204 Mbps and an upload speed of 74 Mbps, on average. Based on this national average, America stands 13th in the world in terms of the fastest Internet speeds. The same study also shows that Internet speeds worldwide increased 32% from 2020 to 2021 alone. While Internet speeds have increased around the world, the U.S. has emerged as a leader, outpacing this meteoric improvement. The one and only reason for this significant increase is the installation of fiber-optic connections all around the country.

Although America’s Internet speeds have consistently increased over the past decade, so have Internet speeds worldwide. Monaco has the fastest average Internet speeds in the world, with 261 Mbps, followed by Singapore with 255 Mbps.

Speed Inequality in the U.S.

On average Americans are doing well but it’s not spread equally. Microsoft analyzed the FCC broadband data in the U.S. and discovered that a third of people in the U.S. aren’t using the Internet at minimum broadband speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload.

Even though we get fast broadband speeds on average, we pay a lot more than other countries. According to the FCC’s most recent International Broadband Report, the U.S. came in at No. 21 of 26 countries on the “Fixed Hedonic Price Index” — which adjusts for “cost, demographic and quality differences across the countries.”

Fiber Internet, The Great Equalizer

Unlike large, publicly owned Internet service providers, GigabitNow chooses to invest in smaller, under-served communities like Fullerton, by bringing ultrafast fiber Internet to every home and business in town. GigabitNow is committed to allowing all of Fullerton to experience the Internet how it is meant to be with affordable prices, no contracts and no installation or equipment fees. Work, learn, stream, and play on multiple devices without buffering, data caps, or throttling.