Internet Speed Ranked

Many would believe that the fastest internet speed is only available in major world power countries since they are more developed. The fact is that one couldn’t be any more incorrect in this assumption with the fact of being that a majority of third world countries are on the cutting edge of technology especially when you take mobile networks and the availability of 4G internet into consideration. Madagascar is, in fact, one of the world's poorest countries but has the fastest broadband internet connection and speeds in Africa. The broadband internet speeds available in Madagascar average out at 24.9 Mbps which may not seem like a lot but do take into consideration that these are broadband internet speeds and not those of fiber-based or cable based internet. A average download speed available throughout the country of Madagascar is a milestone when you take into consideration that internet connections are available in every nook and cranny of the country and when compared to more developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom where 10-15 percent of users do not have access to the internet at all.

INTERNET USAGE AND ACCESS IN MADAGASCAR

Madagascar is able to offer the high-speed broadband connections that it does due to the 10,000 kilometer long East African Submarine Cable System commonly referred to EASSY. EASSY is an undersea fiber-optic cable that resides from Sudan to South Africa. The country’s largest service provider, Telecom Malagasy signed an agreement with the international operations division of Hong Kong Telecom in order to make EASSY from a possibility into a reality. Even Though Madagascar is able to boat the highest internet speed available over a broadband network only 13% out of its 25 million population has access to electricity with only 2.1% of its population accessing the internet. For everyone 1,000 users accessing the internet, there are only 2.75 IP addresses where the global average is 558 IP addresses per 1,000 users.

The sad truth is that Madagascar is the world's only non-conflict country that has become poorer ever since it gained its independence in 1960. The country has an extremely high poverty rate where almost 80% of its population live on less than $1.90 per day per household. The statistical data shows that one in two Malagasy children are stunted due to malnutrition. Madagascar's gross national income per capita fell to $400 a year and is simply not able to compete with the Sub Saharan Africa average of $1454 but at least they have access to high-speed internet.

INTERNET SPEED ISN’T EVERYTHING

The following is a list of the top 10 countries presented in descending order based on the average internet speed.
  • Singapore comes in at #1 with an average internet speed of 60 Mbps.
  • Sweden follows Singapore at #2 with an average internet speed of 46 Mbps.
  • Switzerland comes in #3 with an average internet speed of 30 Mbps.
  • Japan takes the 4th position on the list with an average of 29 Mbps.
The United States of America secures the fifth position with an average of 26 Mbps even though gigabyte speeds are available from vendors such as https://www.localcabledeals.com and Spectrum.
  • Madagascar secures the 6th position with an average of 25 Mbps.
  • France comes in 7th on the list with the average internet speed being 24 Mbps.
  • Germany is #8 offering an average internet speed of 24 Mbps.
  • Canada, America’s neighbor to the north is able to offer an average internet speed of 19 Mbps.
  • The United Kingdom ties with Canada offering an average download speed of 19 Mbps but comes in at #10 due to the number of internet users.
It is true that the internet has become an essential part of our lives but the quality of life also matters as well and should be taken into consideration when ranking countries based on internet speeds. Madagascar would be a prime example where it does trail slightly behind the United States of America but due to the fact, that is still an undeveloped and poverty-stricken nation resulting in not many of its residents unable to take advantage of the high-speed internet which has been made available. Quality of life in terms of basic necessities matters just as much as high-speed internet.