The U.S. is lagging behind other industrialized nations in the availability and use of high-speed broadband connections, according to a report released today by the Washington-based Communications Workers of America. The report, based on aggregated data from nearly 80,000 broadband users, found that the median real-time download speed in the U.S. is 1.9Mbit/sec., compared with 61Mbit/sec. in Japan, 45Mbit/sec. in South Korea, 17Mbit/sec. in France and 7Mbit/sec. in Canada.
The report is based on data collected through the speed test at SpeedMatters.org, a CWA project launched last September "to help bridge the digital divide and keep America competitive by encouraging the government to adopt national policies to bring about universal, affordable high speed broadband access for all Americans, no matter where they live." The CWA is a labor union with a membership of more than 700,000 in fields such as telecommunications, media, manufacturing, health care and aviation.
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News source: PC World
The report is based on data collected through the speed test at SpeedMatters.org, a CWA project launched last September "to help bridge the digital divide and keep America competitive by encouraging the government to adopt national policies to bring about universal, affordable high speed broadband access for all Americans, no matter where they live." The CWA is a labor union with a membership of more than 700,000 in fields such as telecommunications, media, manufacturing, health care and aviation.
View: Full Story News source: PC World
*Only at offpeak times, speeds may vary depending on your distance from your local exchange. Your download speed is subject to our fair use policy. etc
Where are you? Pennine Mountains or Shetland Isles?
Where are you? Pennine Mountains or Shetland Isles?
Well im two miles from the exchange, im on 24meg broadband and i only get 2meg max speed. Oh and also, i live in surrey which i wouldnt call a remote place.
Probably the same place you learned courtesy?
Other countries: What is holding them back? Companies don't want to spend money or a poor infrastructure from years past that is still in place?
Thankfully my area had new fiber optics ran a few years ago. Other thing would be that in some areas, there is no competition and that gives the area telcos the leverage to keep prices high and speed low, like my area. In my area a 3Mbps line is $70 a month...ouch.
So basically, blame the telephone company's.
Can't even win on the mobile data front, we are competitive in global terms to the extent of our 3G/3.5G networks and adaptation speeds, yet we dont actually have any data plans that highly utilise the technology....
There's also a 24 Mb/s DSL connection available to those who don't live near a fiberoptic cable.
Sometimes it's nice to live in Sweden.
In Maryland, there is only 2 providers, comcast and verizon. Basic DSL (1.5-3M) is still around $40/month with both. Verizon has a cripple DSL at $20/mo (700k speed). And because of lack of competition price don't move.
while BT can still rip us off for ridiculous prices on ADSL they'll never upgrade us to fibres either.
Says max 8Mbit - Downloading with 900KB/s at times
looks fair to me, and, if I download slower, it's because the server I download from is far away or overloaded..
What good is a fibre optic connection, when the servers can't handle all the dudes that wanna DL from them faster than they already do, anyways ?
Yes, I know, P2P..
Warez, games, movies, porn, etc.. But, what's the corporate profit in providing you with a faster way of leeching ?
Or is there any profit in letting you SEED ?? :-)
Bottom line, even 1.5MBit/s is enough for watching most streaming videos and playing games online, right ?
One needs to remember what was the situation 5 years ago, and appreciate having broadband at all :-)
P.S. My 8Mbit BT connection is without a monthly traffic limit of any kind, and it costs 46 USD/month, for comparison purposes. That's like 4.5 hourly minimum wages.
they needed a survey to get the same information you can get on the provider's website??
look at any u.s. residential provider's website and then the equivalent in other countries and we're constantly blown away. it's ridiculous how much behind we are in that!
(sorry australia
. . . as I post this on a 1.5Mbps line in Los Angeles.
/me wants fiber
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