CWA and Speed Matters release 2010 Report on Internet Speeds in All 50 States

On Wednesday, December 15, the Communications Workers of America and the Speed Matters campaign released the 2010 Report on Internet Speeds in all 50 States.

The fourth annual report reveals that less than half of U.S. residents' Internet connections fall below the FCC's minimum broadband speed standard of 4 megabits per second (mbps) download and 1 mbps upload. According to the report:

The U.S. continues to lag far behind other countries. The United States ranks 25th in the world in average Internet connection speeds. In South Korea, the average download speed is 34.1 mbps, or 10 times faster than the U.S. The U.S. trails Sweden at 22.2 mbps, the Netherlands at 20.7 mbps, Japan at 18 mbps, and even Romania at 20.3 mbps.

Only 1 percent of U.S. connections meet the FCC's goal for 2015 — as laid out in the National Broadband Plan — of 50 mbps download and 20 mbps upload.

CWA President Larry Cohen spoke about the release of the report:

CWA applauds the FCC for its commitment to improving access to high-speed internet in America. Improving broadband deployment, connection speeds, and adoption will help facilitate job and business growth across the nation.

The report was released at an event in Washington DC that featured CWA President Larry Cohen, FCC Commissioner Julius Genachowski, NAACP Washington Office Director Hilary Shelton, Sierra Club Board Chair Emeritus Carl Pope, and Vice Chair of the Charles City/County VA Board of Supervisors Gilbert Smith. Stay tuned to the Speed Matters blog for video of the discussion.

How does your Internet connection measure up? Take the Speed Matters speed test, upon which the results of the report are based on.

Or, compare your state's average speeds with the rest of the nation with our interactive maps.

Watch the Video of the December 15, 2010 Release Event

2010 Report on Internet Speeds in all 50 States - PDF (Speed Matters)

National Broadband Plan (FCC)

Test Your Speed (Speed Matters)

2010 Report on Internet Speeds in all 50 States - Report Center (Speed Matters)