US Still Lags in Global Download Speeds The United States still lags in overall download rates worldwide, according to a new analysis of global broadband speeds. A new report out of the UK (also see Statista chart, below) notes that a user in the United States needs, on average, 51 minutes to download an HD movie, while users in Singapore can accomplish the same task in less than twenty minutes. When using HD movie downloads as a metric, the United States ranks 21 out of all nations measured, well in line with the country's consistently mediocre showing in most such studies.

For example a recent study by Akamai ranked the United States 28th in terms of average mobile download speeds, though a slightly-more respectible 10th average fixed-line broadband speeds. The reasons, year after year, are consistently the same: the United States is geographically massive, requiring vast amounts of money neither incumbent ISPs nor many taxpayers are willing to pay to obtain uniform connectivity. And when taxpayers have ponied up the money to build fiber infrastructure, lobbying and flimsy oversight have consistently resulted in jobs left half completed. There's also the glaring fact that regulators from neither party really want to do much about the overall lack of competition in the US broadband market, prioritizing AT&T, Verizon and Comcast campaign contributions over the health of nationwide telecom infrastructure. If it makes you feel any better, Americans also pay more than most developed nations for broadband for most of the same reasons. Singapore tops the world with an average speed of 55.13Mbps, fast enough to download a 7.5GB HD movie in 18 minutes and 34 seconds, notes the study. And while residents there obviously have more pressing concerns, downloading an HD film there would take a little over two days, ranking Yemen 189th in this admittedly somewhat silly metric. Singapore tops the world with an average speed of 55.13Mbps, fast enough to download a 7.5GB HD movie in 18 minutes and 34 seconds, notes the study. And while residents there obviously have more pressing concerns, downloading an HD film there would take a little over two days, ranking Yemen 189th in this admittedly somewhat silly metric.







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Most recommended from 35 comments



Candew

join:2005-09-23

N. America 4 recommendations Candew Member Canada is Number 26! Woo hoo! Lucky number 26! I'm sure with the recently announced $5 a month price hike for my Rogers internet package we will be number 27 in no time.

tshirt

Premium Member

join:2004-07-11

Snohomish, WA 1 edit 3 recommendations tshirt Premium Member Singapore~ fast enough to download a 7.5GB HD movie in 18 minutes and 34 sec movie in a snappy 18 minutes and 30 seconds, an American user would have to wait an average of 51 minutes for the download to complete.



However it should be possible for each of these average men to stream the movie, or even finish the download before it finishes playing, correct?

so no real practical advantage FactChecker

Premium Member

join:2008-06-03 2 recommendations FactChecker Premium Member CDNs are the new bottleneck When was the last time you got your actual download speed from Apple iTunes, etc?