The internet is a very important tool for economic growth and is essential for a technologically advanced infrastructure. Technologies have improved a great deal over the years, leading to faster and faster speeds. If you’ve ever wondered which countries have the faster broadband this list has the latest answers for you courtesy of the recent quarterly survey by Akamai Technologies.
In ascending order we have:
10) Finland
With an average speed of 12.1Mb/s Finland replaces Singapore at number 10. A 2.8% increase in speeds over the previous quarter gave them the position. The recent growth puts their year on year total to 33%, a really impressive figure for the Scandinavian nation.
9) Czech Republic
The Czechs held on to their 9th place with speeds of 12.3Mb/s even though their quarterly speed growth was only 0.1%. A more impressive 8.4% boost over the previous year makes better reading and shows how much improvement they have made in internet technology.
8) Ireland
An internet speed of 12.7Mb/s gives the Irish a spot at number 8. An 8.9% drop in speeds over the past quarter threatened their position but with 24% increases over the previous year they hold on to it.
7) Latvia
Perhaps the most surprising entry into the list but with speeds of 13Mb/s it is hard to argue. They hold on to 7th even with 2.6% quarterly and 25% yearly drops.
6) The Netherlands
Like the Czechs the Dutch have held on to their position with a modest 1.7% increase in speeds taking their average speed this quarter to 14.2Mb/s. 15% gains over last year have helped too.
5) Switzerland
The Swiss are renowned for having a great quality of life so naturally they have fast internet to go with it. Their average speed comes in at 14.5 Mb/s but showed no change over the previous quarter, causing them to slip to 5th on this list.
4) Sweden
Taking advantage of a lack of growth in Switzerland the Swedes secured 4th with 3.5% quarterly and 34% annual improvements. This took their average speed to 14.6 Mb/s and put them marginally ahead.
3) Japan
Regularly renowned as one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, Japan has fantastic internet speeds. At 15.2Mb/s they are a little way ahead of the 4th placed country and looked to secure this position with 1% quarterly growth.
2) Hong Kong
The average internet speed in Hong Kong is an incredible 16.8Mb/s, putting them even further ahead of 3rd place Japan than they themselves are of number 4 spot. A 37% annual growth secures their position but they still lag behind the fastest country by some margin.
1) South Korea
With an astonishing 22.2Mb/s the South Koreans blow every other country away when it comes to internet speeds. Their average speed means they have connections that are twice as fast as the vast majority of countries in the world.