This is a great question – and great news – there is an app for that!!
Well, at least there is a web site.
Based on millions of recent test results from Speedtest.net, there is an index that compares and ranks consumer download speeds around the globe. Also plotted is the value is the rolling mean throughput in Mbps over the past 30 days where the mean distance between the client and the server is less than 300 miles. The following screenshot is from the web site called Net Index by Ookla.
We have taken a couple of snapshots over time. Here is March 2011 data:
Here is the September 2012 data:
This means, on average, bandwidth has increased 38% in the 18 months between those measurements (the way this is calculated is the difference (increase (negative)/decrease (positive)) between the two numbers. Next, divide the increase/decrease by the original number and multiply the answer by 100. Again, negative number is a percentage increase while positive number is percentage decrease).
But we are now in 2020, and while the web site is a little different, so is the Internet speed information:
This means that since 2011, global sppeds have increased (I am refering to the fixed broadband for comparison) a whopping 968% since 2011.
Hats off to all the people that make this happen!
Who has the fastest Internet? In 2011, the US does not even make the top 10! Here was the data in March 2011:
And here is the data in September 2012:
If you are wondering, the US is 34th as of September 2012, right behind Lichtenstein!
What about in 2020? Here is the latest (left is mobile, right is fixed broadband):
Clearly the US has been struggling to make it into the top 10, but we are close.
There is much more data at the site – and we encourage you to look at information by State and other worldwide data.
Thoughts and comments below!
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