CAMBRIDGE, MA — Canadian Internet users now achieve average connection speeds of 11.6Mbps, with 20% of Canadians currently connecting at speeds of 15Mbps or higher, according to the latest State of the Internet Report from U.S.-based content delivery network services provider Akamai Technologies Inc.
In the Americas region, Canada ranks a very close second to the United States when it comes to average connection speeds. In the U.S., the average connection speed is 11.9Mbps, with 22% of U.S. Internet users currently enjoying connection speeds of 15Mbps or higher, according to the Q1 2015 data published in Akamai’s report.
To produce its quarterly State of the Internet Report, Akamai uses its globally distributed Intelligent Platform to gather massive amounts of data on many metrics, including Internet connection speeds, broadband adoption levels across both fixed and mobile networks, and IPv6 adoption rates, as well as traffic patterns across leading web properties and digital media providers.
Looking at the global picture, the average connection speed globally increased 10% quarter over quarter, to 5Mbps. At a country/region level, South Korea continued to have the highest average connection speed, with a 6.3% increase from Q4 2014 to 23.6Mbps.
In terms of peak connection speeds, the global average grew 8.2% to 29.1Mbps, with Singapore boasting a 17% quarterly jump to 98.5Mbps to overtake Hong Kong as the country with the highest average peak connection speed. In comparison, Canada’s average peak connection speed in Q1 2015 was 49.5Mbps, a 6.8% increase over the previous quarter. However, this gave Canada a third-place ranking in the Americas region, with the United States realizing a 7.9% quarterly gain to reach a 53.3Mbps average peak connection speed, and Uruguay slipping to a second-place 51.3Mbps average peak speed in the first quarter.
With respect to broadband adoption levels, 4Mbps broadband adoption grew globally 6.6% from the fourth quarter, and Bulgaria remained the country with the highest level of 4Mbps broadband adoption at 97%. South Korea again led the world in broadband adoption for the 10Mbps, 15Mbps and 25Mbps thresholds, with adoption rates of 77%, 58% and 31% in each respective category, according to Akamai.
In the Americas, Canada led the region in 4Mbps broadband adoption with a rate of 87%, followed by the United States, which reported 76% adoption of 4Mbps broadband. In terms of 10Mbps broadband adoption, Canada caught up with the United States in the first quarter of 2015, jointly sharing the first-place spot with a 44% adoption rate. This represents a 16% increase from the previous quarter for Canada and a 12% increase for the United States.
As already noted above, 15Mbps broadband adoption levels in the first quarter were 20% in Canada and 22% in the United States, representing quarterly increases of 22% and 18%, respectively. The Akamai report did not contain data regarding the adoption level of 25Mbps broadband in Canada. However, for the first time, the State of the Internet Report did contain data concerning global and U.S. adoption levels for 25Mbps broadband, as this became the new benchmark broadband speed adopted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in January 2015.
Globally in the first quarter, 4.6% of unique IP addresses connected to Akamai’s Intelligent Platform at average connection speeds of at least 25Mbps, a 12% increase over the previous quarter. Adoption rates in the United States for 25Mbps broadband are still fairly low nationwide, with 46 states seeing levels below 10%, and 17 states actually having adoption levels below 5%. The District of Columbia led the U.S. with an 18% adoption level for 25Mbps broadband, followed by the four highest-ranking states of Delaware (15%), Utah (13%), Virginia (11%) and Massachusetts (10%).
In its analysis of mobile connection speeds around the globe in the first quarter, Akamai found the United Kingdom had the highest average mobile connection speed of 20.4Mbps, a 27% increase over the fourth quarter. The lowest-ranking average mobile connection speed was 1.3Mbps in Vietnam. In comparison, Canada’s average mobile connection speed in the first quarter was reported to be 5.3Mbps, while the U.S.’s was 4Mbps. According to Akamai, 66% of Canadian mobile users enjoy average connection speeds at or above the 4Mbps broadband level.
When it comes to peak mobile connection speeds, Australia achieved the highest average peak mobile speed of 149.3Mbps, followed by Japan (126Mbps), Singapore (116.4Mbps) and Thailand (105.4Mbps). While Canada’s average peak mobile connection speed was much lower than these Asia Pacific region countries, it still achieved the highest average peak speed for mobile connectivity in the Americas region for the first quarter, with 46.7Mbps. According to Akamai, the average peak mobile connection speed in the United States was only 17.8Mbps in the first quarter of 2015.
For more information about Akamai’s State of the Internet Report, click here.
