Akamai: Average US Broadband Speed Up 13 Percent

Average broadband speeds in the US reached 11.9 Mbps in the first quarter of 2015, a 13 percent year-on-year increase (and 7.4 percent on a quarter-over-quarter basis), according to Akamai’s latest State of the Internet Report. Despite that healthy jump, that placed the US in 19th among other countries. South Korea led all nations with an average of 23.6 Mbps, followed by Ireland (17.4 Mbps); Hong Kong (16.7 Mbps); Sweden (15.8 Mbps); Netherlands (15.3 Mbps); Japan (15.2 Mbps); Switzerland (14.9 Mbps), Norway (14.1 Mbps); Latvia (13.8 Mbps) and Finland (13.7 Mbps).

On a global basis, average connection speeds rose 10 percent, to 5 Mbps. When it came to average peak connection speed, Akamai said the US came in at 53.3 Mbps, up 31 percent year-over-year and 7.9 percent quarter-over-quarter, ranking it 22nd. In that category, Singapore led with a peak average of 98.5 Mbps, followed by Hong Kong (92.6 Mbps); South Korea (79 Mbps); Kuwait (76.5 Mbps); and Romania (71.6 Mbps).