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| Internet problems? Good luck. |
The United States is supposed to be the model by which other
countries follow. However, we fall short in many areas, including holding the highest
average internet speed. The United States ranking according to Net Index is 33
out of all the countries in the world. Even though 33 out of all countries in
the world is not bad, it is not ideal. Especially since the United States
prides itself as being one of the most technological advanced countries.
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| World comparison of internet speed cost per mbps. |
Here is a list of some of the countries that beat the United
States and their average internet speeds.
- #1 Hong Kong 78.31 Mbps
- #2 Singapore 66.62 Mbps
- #4 South Korea 53.60 Mbps
- #9 Japan 41.45 Mbps
- #17 France 34.10 Mbps
- #23 United Kingdom 26.85 Mbps
- #31 Russia 23.97 Mbps
- #33 United States 23.72 Mbps
This list illustrates that the United States is far from the
place where it wants to be. The question that easily arises is why a country
like Hong Kong is so far ahead of the United States. As was pointed out in an
NY Times article, it is because the mentalities are different for both
countries. A new Internet Service Providers (ISP) company does not mind losing
money for several years as it builds its network out. The bottom line is not
everything because they know that they have to suffer a little before competing
with the bigger ISP groups. In the United States the most reliable service
comes from Verizion which offers its FIOS network. Verizon does not have to
prove itself anymore, it has a loyal customer base and they do not have to do
anything outrageous to draw in customers. They have no incentive to push forward
with higher speeds. New up and coming Internet Service Providers (ISP) in Hong
Kong have something to prove and they are willing to take the risk.
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| Which ISP is dominate in each state. |
In order for the United States to maintain its status as a
world power, things need to change. Technologically things need to be more
supported. Many new laws and current legislation make it hard for smaller
companies to even begin competing with the bigger companies. The United States does not have to be in the position its in, we can change so that we do not have to be waiting for pages to load.
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| Stop this from happening and do something! |
Sources:
- "Blue Website Loading Bar (Psd)." Blugraphic RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
- Choi, Christy. "Hong Kong Has Fastest Peak Internet Speed in World." South China Morning Post. N.p., 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
- "Daily Hen for Daily Life Tips." Daily Hen for Daily Life Tips. N.p., 19 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
- "Did You Know Which Country Is Providing World Fastest Internet Speed ?"HybridTechCar. N.p., 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
- Guarini, Drew. "This Is The United States Of Comcast, Depressing Map Shows."The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
- "Household Download Index." Download Speed by Country. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
- "Internet Speeds and Costs Around the World." Infographics Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
- Stross, Randall. "Cheap, Ultrafast Broadband? At Least Hong Kong Has It." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Comcast cut my internet for one hour last night without warning, and this is the third time this month they did this to me. I agree with you regard to the mentality of service providers in USA. Those big companies make so much money that they don't care about quality of service anymore. I think the post is interesting, and it has good visual. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I've experienced problems with internet providers like comcast and charter who own a great monopoly. It's kind of funny how in certain areas you only have one or two picks. Sometimes it comes down to which one is the lesser of the evils. I think it's possible to have the United States become more competitive in terms of internet speeds. I think first of foremost there needs to be a shift from looking for the biggest payout to looking for the most satisfied customer base. There's a golden mean between the two and it should be found. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteHey Andy. Thanks for sharing. Very informative piece you got here. One thing i'd like to add is that companies like Google are trying to provide faster internet to the country; for example, the recent release of Google fiber. Also, another interesting tidbit is that Mozilla just recently made a big move to suggest reclassification of ISP to stop bigger companies from getting "fast lanes" just by paying more, and enforce a net neutrality.
ReplyDeleteGoogle is the exception to the rule in my opinion. They are the ones trying to set the precedent, but they can already. They have the money and they have the power and influence to do it. Other smaller companies can't take that plunge. In other countries, smaller companies are pushing the limit. Although I like what Google is doing in this sector, I don't think they're moving quick enough. Their expansion is slow. Luckily though, AT&T has decided to try to compete with them and are releasing gigabit internet also.
DeleteThe internet is a vital infrastructure that modern day commerce is built upon. Even our conventional infrastructure is ranked 24th:
ReplyDeletehttp://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2011-12/14.GCR2011-2012DTIIInfrastructure.pdf
Glancing at the conventional infrastructure lists and the internet speed lists there does seem to be a correlation.
Hopefully the United States will invest in its future; one such plan is http://www.broadband.gov/. I have yet to read through the details to decide which features I favor, but I'm comforted that the issue is being addressed and recommendations are put forth.
I think the United States could still be at the top of the list if we tried to address the issues that we have here. As can be shown by one of the pictures above, each state has their own dominate internet provider. More often than not, you are picking the lesser of the evils when you have to decide what internet company you want. Sometimes you are not even given the choice of one of the better companies because they do not have the infrastructure in your area. Google Fiber and Verizon Fios are good examples of this. Although their speeds are very different, both provide good customer service and stable internet connections. Comcast, charter and AT&T have the common problem of being the providers that people don't want to get but have to since they need internet. I think the issue of getting the United States back on top will not happen for a while. Due to government gridlock and lobbying, this issue will probably be a very low priority for them. Even if the issue were to be addressed right now, there would still be a long time until we can compete with the top countries. Laying fiber is time consuming and takes a lot of man power.
DeleteNice Post. For me, I think American ISPs charge way too much for the speed they provide. We, as their customers, have no choice but have to use their service since internet has become an necessary thing in society. Just imagine one day without the internet, the world would be instantly in chaos.
ReplyDeleteI like your pictures, very eye-catching as always! Good job!
I would love to know your ideas on how to improve the U.S standing in this aspect. Could be interesting!
I think Google is the frontrunner in providing superior Internet speed at the moment. They have been trying to get into as many cities as they can. With only $79/ month for 10Gbps. It is amazing!
Yes, I agree completely with you Phuc. For how much I am charged for internet I really expect more. Not just that, I expect it to be reliable and stable. I do not want to be told by my ISP that certain times will see a slowdown since it is a peak time. I believe that ISPs should be prepared for those peaks and should not shift the burden down to their customers. I paid for my speed, I expect to get that speed day and night. In order for the United States to be a frontrunner again, we need to address this issue in government. Change how long it takes for ISPs to get licenses to expand their infrastructure. Let there be less barriers and more competition. I do not want to have to choose between two bad options. I want variety and I want more choices so I can pick the best option, not the less evil option.
DeleteGoogle is the frontrunner for internet speeds at the moment. However, Google has their hand in way too many things in my opinion. They need to narrow down their focus. I believe Google Fiber can compete against the bigger ISPs if they focused their efforts on it. They need to hire more people to expand their infrastructure quickly. Doing one city at a time is a little slow in my opinion. I understand that there is government oversight, licenses, et cetera, but I also think they have the money to overcome that easily.