U.S. lags other nations in Internet speed

by Lance Whitney

The average Internet download speed in the U.S. is slower than that in 27 other countries, according to a new report by the Communications Workers of America.
Web surfing in the U.S. averages around 5.1 megabits per second (mbps), lagging far behind top-ranked South Korea, where speeds average more than 20 mbps. In 2007, the U.S. download speed was 3.5 mbps, inching up only 1.6 mbps since then. At that rate, notes the report, it will take the U.S. 15 years to catch up with South Korea.

The CWA's 2009 Report on Internet Speeds also compared Internet performance throughout all 50 U.S. states.
The report discovered that Internet users who live in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic regions enjoy faster speeds than those in the South or West. The five fastest states included Delaware (9.9 mbps), Rhode Island (9.8 mbps), New Jersey (8.9 mbps), Massachusetts (8.6 mbps), and New York (8.4 mbps).   READ MORE:

(Credit: Communications Workers of America)