When it comes to fast broadband speed, the US is still lagging behind other countries. In one of the reports commissioned by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a request was made to the public policy-makers to take serious note of the slow average broadband speed of the United States. Truly, some of the cable speed surveys have painted an abysmal picture of the current median download speed of the US.
The average download speed was recorded at 1.9 megabits per second, which is far lower than countries such as Japan (61 Mbps), South Korea (45 Mbps), France (17 Mbps), and even Canada (7 Mbps). Furthermore, it has been discovered that the average broadband speed varies in the US from state to state. The state of Illinois clocks an average of 2.1 Mbps, whereas New York and California’s speeds are 3.4 and 1.5 megabits per second respectively. The state of Rhode Island comes first at 5 Mbps, followed closely by Kansas at 4.1 Mbps.
There are a lot of advantages of having a faster cable speed, some of which include a multimedia rich distance learning experience, more efficient video conferencing, better streaming of movies, and faster downloading of email attachments. Unfortunately, research shows that the American people’s interest in fast broadband speed is in fact plummeting. So, it seems that the American people needs to be convinced about the benefits of a fast cable speed before another significant broadband national program is rolled out.
A fast broadband speed not only enhances the internet surfing experience for people in the US; it helps to promote businesses and create jobs as well.