Internet speeds vary across USA, leaving a ‘digital divide’

The average Internet download speed in the USA is 5.1 megabits per second, though consumers’ online experiences can vary dramatically, depending on where they happen to live, a new report from the Communications Workers of America says.

On balance, speeds in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were faster. Speeds in the South and in rural areas were markedly slower, according to the CWA’s report — "Speed Matters" — out Tuesday.

Delaware, for example, averages 9.9 megabits per second. That’s almost double the national average and triple the speed of Idaho (2.6 mbps), Arkansas (3.1) and Alaska (2.3). Data are based on feedback from more than 413,000 Internet users who took an online test between May 2008 and May 2009, CWA says.

By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-08-24-speeds-digital-internet_N.htm

(Many thanks to fellow Montana Ambassador, Al Parisian for passing along this site http://www.speedmatters.org/ that focuses on improving internet speeds in the U.S. Good site to monitor if this is a concern to you. Russ)

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15 U.S. states with the fastest broadband Internet speeds

When it comes to Internet speed, the U.S. is still far down the ladder of industrialized nations, ranking 28th behind leaders South Korea, Japan, Sweden and Holland, according to a study by a labor union for telecommunications workers.

Using data gathered from Speed Matters, a site that promotes greater Internet speeds, the Communications Workers of America compiled a list of broadband speeds in U.S. states and territories, and came up with the average speed for the nation — about 5 megabits per second. That’s a quarter of South Korea’s 20.4 Mbps, and about a third of Japan’s 15.8 Mbps.

Full Story: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/08/15-us-states-with-the-fastest-broadband-internet-speeds.html