Globally the average connection speed came in at 4.5 Mbps in the fourth quarter, for a 20 percent year-over-year gain. Once again, Korea was the fastest nation, with an average connection speed of 22.2 Mbps for a year-over-year gain of 1.6 percent. The U.S placed 16th overall with an average connection speed of 11.1 Mbps, for a 15 percent year-over-year gain.
Going a level deeper, Akamai also takes a look at high-broadband penetration, which is defined as connections at or above 10 Mbps. In the fourth quarter, 24 percent of all global connections were at 10 Mbps or higher, for a 25 percent year-over-year gain. In the U.S, 39 percent of all connections to Akamai came in at 10 Mbps or higher, a 20 percent improvement over the fourth quarter of 2013.
Read the full story at Enterprise Networking Planet:
Global Average Internet Connection Speed Nudges Upward to 4.5 Mbps
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.