US
Internet providers have been improving the speeds they offer however the US is
still behind when it comes to top average speeds. According to Speedtest’s
Global Index, the US ranks 12th for fixed broadband and 45th for mobile
internet. The US average broadband speed is pretty good at approximately 77
Mbps while mobile speeds are severely lacking at an average of only 27 Mbps.
73% of US households had access to broadband service in 2016 meaning that 1 in
4 households didn’t (Fortune, 2017). That improved to almost 88% in 2017
according to Internet World Stats. The US needs to improve its mobile Internet
speeds because we pay the 6th highest amount per month for mobile Internet
(Forbes, 2017). If I were to discuss this further, would look at what technology
improvements are happening with internet providers/ mobile carriers.
Along
with continuing to improve internet speeds, the US needs to work on increasing
access to quality internet providers. Many people in the US still do not have internet
access. This limits what they are able to do in an ever-advancing world. Children
are not able to do their homework and adults are unable to apply for jobs, pay
bills, or do other things that make life easier in a modern world. Improving
Internet speeds and increasing access in not enough, the US ISPs need to work
on lowering the price that they are charging for Internet access. Many people
do no have access because it is simply too expensive.
Why are
some possible reasons for ISPs to charge higher prices compared to what other
countries charge for comparable speeds?
Do you
think the US government should step in and do something about pricing and ease
of access?
Sources:
http://www.speedtest.net/global-index
It is alarming and ridiculous that we rank so low in the mobile internet sector, yet we pay the 6th highest amount for the service. Today, the world revolves around money and I believe that is why ISPs charge such hefty amounts. There are very few ISPs in the market, which allows them to determine what price they want to charge. I believe the government should do something to help our country because like you said, everything is done on the internet. For low income families that can't afford internet service, it makes it difficult for children to do their homework and for adults to apply for jobs. Hopefully something will be done in the future to solve this dilemma. Great post!
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