When the World Wide Web was launched in 1993, people mostly had dial-up internet. And dial-up internet was limited to a then impressive but now atrocious 56 kbps. Considering how we currently measure internet speed in Mbps instead of kbps, we’ve come a long way since then, and there is still more to go.
And back then, the World Wide Web wasn’t as worldwide as one would hope. It was often limited to more developed areas that could try out the new technology. Now more of the world is online than ever before, and as of 2022, there are about 4.95 billion internet users, most of whom use the internet regularly, if not every hour of every day.
Currently, a significant focus is to improve the internet speeds of people around the world, allowing them to connect to others better, get more done, and enjoy more of what the internet has to offer. Yet what are speeds currently, and what are some major outliers? That’s what we’re going to explore in this article.
Understanding Internet Speed
A faster internet speed is always wanted, but not always possible. Why is this the case? How do we define internet speed in the first place? Before comparing speeds around the world, here’s what you need to know:
What is Internet Speed?
Internet speed measures how quickly data travels over a given connection. It's typically measured in Mbps (megabits per second), though Gbps and kbps can be used for very fast and slow connections. Note that bandwidth measures how much data can be handled per second, though the two terms are often used interchangeably. Think of internet speed as how fast water flows out of a faucet and bandwidth as the amount of water coming out.
There are several facets to internet speed that you should know about, as follows:
- Download speed measures how quickly data travels from an outside source to your device. This will be the most crucial factor of speed to most people and affects everything from music downloads to streaming to video calls.
- Upload speed is the inverse of download speed and measures how quickly files or data can travel from your device to somewhere else. Upload speed is usually slower than download speed with most connections, given that people tend to download more than they upload. However, some upload speed is necessary, and some groups of professionals will need a lot of upload speed.
- Latency, otherwise known as ping or ping rate, is a measurement of how fast a device can get a response after sending out a request. It is usually measured in milliseconds. It is important for things that require a constant connection, like video calls and online gaming.
- The consistency of your connection might not be measured in the same ways or considered an aspect of speed in the strictest sense, but practically speaking, it matters just as much. A commonly interrupted or problematic connection is not a fast one.
And internet speed gets a lot of press and general attention, and rightfully so. It is one of the most essential parts of an internet service plan, what people pay for, and a certain amount of it is necessary to have a functional online life.
The more internet speed someone has, the more they can do online and the more they can do at once. Downloading files becomes easier, as does saving things and retrieving them from the cloud. With enough internet speed, a smart home setup becomes a possibility. And people or households without enough internet speed might get left behind when it comes to work and education opportunities, the ability to connect with others, and more.
Needless to say, it is vital, and you should have enough, regardless of how your connection compares to others around the world.
Factors That Affect Internet Speed Worldwide
On a smaller scale, one can affect their internet speed by optimizing their network, selecting the right plan, and using their bandwidth efficiently, but what about on a grander scale? What affects how fast a country’s average internet speed is? There are many factors, but here are the key ones:
Infrastructure: What base infrastructure is a country working with regarding potential internet service options? Are there telephone lines set up across the country? The better the infrastructure, the better the internet speeds, and the more a company can do to set up better connections for people. Generally, the newer the infrastructure used, the better the internet service (and internet speeds, as a result) will be.
Proximity/Connection to Submarine Cables: In case you didn’t know already, massive and extremely long fiber optic cables run under the ocean's surface, transmitting massive amounts of information between continents. In fact, these undersea cables transmit about 97 percent of the communication data of the world. The closer a country is to these cables, the better.
The Size of a Country: A smaller country, all else being equal, will be able to have a faster internet speed. You will see this trend demonstrated later on when we discuss the countries with the fastest average internet speed. Laying the infrastructure for internet service and faster internet speeds can get expensive quickly, and less densely populated and larger countries will find more significant expense in upgrading their overall infrastructure. Laying cabling for a small country isn’t so bad and has a better return on investment.
Investment: Speaking of investments, a country can have everything else going for it, but if it is unwilling to invest in its internet infrastructure, either through private companies or public means, then speeds will not be fast, and there will be connectivity issues. Think of investment as how much a country prioritizes internet speed and the related infrastructure.
The Average Internet Speed Around the World
How long does it take to load your home page on your browser? How long did it take you to open up and load this page? The answer can depend heavily on where you live, given that the average internet speed can vary significantly by country.
What is the Global Average Internet Speed?
Before tackling individual countries, let’s take a look at some global averages first:
- For mobile internet, the global average download speed is 30.78 Mbps. The average upload speed is 8.55 Mbps.
- For fixed broadband connections, the average download speed is 67.25 Mbps. The average upload speed is 28.50 Mbps.
The distinction between the two is quite important for many people, as more and more people are only using a mobile internet connection instead of getting a fixed home internet connection. These people generally only use their smartphones to connect to the internet, and the trend is more common in Asian countries.
What is the Average Internet Speed by Country?
Looking into different countries, here are the average (mean, not median) speeds of each of them, listed in order of greatest download speed to smallest:
Countries With the Fastest Internet Speed
The above is one measurement and source of information on the fastest internet speed, but what about others? Which countries do we know have the fastest internet speed? Here are the top five as of 2023:
- 1st - Jersey – Mbps 274.27
- 2nd - Liechtenstein - 211.26 Mbps
- 3rd - Iceland - 191.83 Mbps
- 4th - Andorra - 164.66 Mbps
- 5th - Gibraltar - 151.34 Mbps
As you might notice, these relatively wealthy countries can invest in their infrastructure and are on the smaller side, allowing them to focus on more densely populated areas. If you kept going down the list, you would continue to see the trend.
Countries With the Slowest Internet Speed
What about the other end of the scale? Here are the five countries with the slowest internet speed in the world (at least that can be measured):
- 1st - Turkmenistan - 0.50 Mbps
- 2nd - Yemen - 0.68 Mbps
- 3rd - Ethiopia - 1.20 Mbps
- 4th - Guinea-Bissau - 1.24 Mbps
- 5th - Equatorial Guinea - 1.30 Mbps
Perhaps it is a little surprise that these countries cannot and will not invest much in their internet infrastructure. It is also likely that many people living in these countries do not have internet access. Some may be smaller, but this does not negate the lack of investment. If you continue to look at the slowest end of the total list, you’ll see the same trends pop up throughout.
Conclusion
Internet speeds are rising around the world, but it’s not all uniform, and it can be interesting to examine the differences. Whether you live in one of the fastest or the slowest countries, we hope you can get a better connection soon and enjoy the internet to the fullest. Note that multiple factors on both a micro and macro level go into internet speed, so don’t feel helpless when it comes to your connection.
It's even possible for the average internet speed for businesses to vary significantly from that for residents if your concerns are related to that. We encourage you to return to this article if you need to check the numbers, and we thank you for reading.
FAQ
How to make internet speed faster?
The simplest and most effective solution is to upgrade your internet plan or switch providers so that you have more bandwidth and better speeds. However, this can be expensive or not possible, depending on your circumstances. The other option to increase internet speed is to optimize the usage and network you have so that it works better for you. We recommend looking up more information on how to do so.
What is the average cost of internet in the world?
It can depend on how you measure it. According to one study, the average cost was $48.82 per month. Among OECD countries, the average cost is $37.78 per month. Whether prices will trend upward due to inflation and rising costs or down due to increased access and competition remains to be seen.
How to fix slow internet?
This is a tricky question to answer unless you know the cause of the slow internet in the first place. First, troubleshoot your connection to see if any equipment isn’t working properly or processes are taking up too much bandwidth. Then see if you can optimize your network and improve reception. If these strategies don’t work, you might need to switch providers or get a better plan from your current ISP to improve your internet speed.
Do VPNs make the internet faster?
As a rule, they do not. The only time a VPN will make your internet faster is if something is throttling your internet based on your IP address or the site you were using. Otherwise, they will secure your connection and hide your traffic but will not make your connection faster. Depending on your VPN and server, your internet can feel slower. This is because your connection and requests need to travel more to reach their destination.
How to check your internet speed?
To check your internet speed, you need to use a speed test under normal operating conditions. There are plenty online that you can easily search for, and Broadband Search has a free speed test tool that you can use. Just go to the test page, hit start, and you’ll get your results quickly to compare with what you’re paying for, and the average internet speed tests are around the globe.
