UK shames rivals with fastest 3G and 4G speeds in the world
Brits’ average mobile broadband speed comes in at 20.4Mbps:-
THE UK HAS BEEN CROWNED the best in the world when it comes to mobile broadband, offering average 3G and 4G speeds of more than twice that of its nearest rival.
That’s according to the latest quarterly State of the Internet report (PDF) from Akamai, which, using data gathered from its content delivery network, reports that Brits now enjoy an average mobile connection speed of 20.4Mbps, a 27 % increase on the previous quarter and higher than the 15Mbps figure recently touted by Ofcom.
In comparison, Denmark – which ranked second on Akamai’s list – has an average mobile broadband speed of 10Mbps.
Denmark isn’t the only country the UK put to shame, according to the report, with average speeds in Sweden coming in at 8.9Mbps, Russia at 7.5Mbps and the US at a mere 4Mbps. Vietnam had the lowest average connection speed, at 1.3Mbps.
While the UK leads the pack in terms of average speeds, Australia came out on top when it comes to fastest peak speeds, which Akamai recorded as a whopping 149.3Mbps, compared to the UK’s 90.9Mbps.
The UK didn’t fare quite so well when it comes to fixed broadband connections, with Akamai recording average speeds of 11.6Mbps.
While 95 % of all mobile broadband connections in the UK now offer speeds of over 4Mbps, 85 % of broadband connections are over 4Mbps, the report found.
Leading the way, as ever, was South Korea, which recorded an average fixed connection speed of 23.6Mbps in the quarter, up 6.3 % from the previous quarter. Ireland was second with 17.4Mbps, and Hong Kong third with 16.7Mbps.
Akamai’s David Belson, editor of the report, said: “We saw generally positive results across all of the key metrics during the first quarter of 2015.
“The increase in global broadband speeds demonstrates an on going commitment to higher standards.
“While connectivity will continue to differ across many regions, we see the highest broadband speeds in countries/regions with high population densities and strong government backing or support, as well as those that foster competition among internet providers.”