• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechPointCloud

Survey Says Average U.S. Internet Connection Gets Speedier

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 2, 2017, 9:51 AM ET
Young Family Browsing Internet With Laptop
Young edgy family having fun while browing the internet with laptop Photo credit: Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images

Internet connections are getting faster in the United States, but several other countries are outpacing it.

The average Internet connection in the United States hit 18.7 megabits per second (Mbps) in the first quarter, 22% faster than a year ago, according to a new report from Akamai Technologies.

That’s fast enough to download a typical high-definition digital move in about 30 minutes. But the U.S. ranked only 10th fastest in the world. South Korea, with an average speed of 28.6 Mbps, ranked first, followed by Norway, at 23.5 Mbps. Worldwide, the average broadband connection provided a speed of just 7.2 Mbps across all of the 149 countries measured, Akamai said.

Speeds are much slower in developing parts of the world, like Africa. The average home Internet speed in the Congo and Liberia was just 1.8 Mbps and 2.1 Mbps in Libya. Of all countries measured by Akamai, Yemen had the closest average at 1 Mbps.

The data are collected by Akamai, which runs a vast, global network of Internet servers. The rankings are based on home and business connections, but don’t include mobile Internet usage.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Within the United States, people who lived in the nation’s capital city had the fastest average home Internet speeds in the first quarter, at 28.1 Mbps. Washington, D.C. was followed by Delaware at 25.2 Mbps and Massachusetts, at 23.8 Mbps. Overall, 42 of the 50 states plus D.C. had average speeds of at least 15 Mbps, up from 34 at the end of 2016.

Still, not everyone in every state has Internet access. Only 73% of U.S. households had broadband service in 2016 and 88% of Americans used the Internet, according to Pew Research.

Among all users in the U.S., just one in five had connection speed of at least 25 Mbps, above the global average of 12% but half the rate in South Korea, according to Akamai.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
Big TechCEO salaries and executive compensation
Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 10, 2026
45 minutes ago
Kash Patel sits with his two fingers on lips
CybersecurityIran
First they went after medtech, then Kash Patel. Iranian hackers’ next target is likely ‘low-hanging fruit’ in water, energy, and tourism, experts say
By Jacqueline MunisApril 10, 2026
2 hours ago
scott bessent
CybersecurityFederal Reserve
The AI that found 27-year-old vulnerabilities no human ever caught before just forced an emergency meeting with every major Wall Street CEO
By Jake AngeloApril 10, 2026
3 hours ago
Ukraine will have the most important defense industrial base in the free world, former CIA chief predicts
InnovationDefense
Ukraine will have the most important defense industrial base in the free world, former CIA chief predicts
By Jason MaApril 10, 2026
6 hours ago
A hacker in a dark hoodie and wearing a creepy white mask sits at a keyboard in front of multiple computer monitors in a dark, blue-shaded room.
CybersecurityAnthropic
Anthropic is limiting access to its latest AI model, Mythos. The real risks may already be out there
By Beatrice NolanApril 10, 2026
6 hours ago
‘Downward mobility is incredibly radicalizing’: The college bargain is broken. What comes next could reshape America
EconomyColleges and Universities
‘Downward mobility is incredibly radicalizing’: The college bargain is broken. What comes next could reshape America
By Nick LichtenbergApril 10, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
Success
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Innovation
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
13 hours ago
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
Success
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.