In the test conducted by the CWA, the United States averaged 1.9 megabits per second.

Currently, Japan, the number one country in the world, has an average broadband download time of 61 megabits per second. South Korea is second with 45.6 megabits per second. Sweden is third at 18, France, fourth at 17, and Canada fifth at 7 megabits per second.

The five fastest states in the United States are New York, New Jersey, Kansas, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts—with an average of 5 megabits per second.

Larry Cohen, president of the CWA, states, “The United States is the only industrialized nation without a national policy to promote universal, high-speed Internet access.”

The May 17, 2007 “Testimony of Larry Cohen, President Communications Workers of America—Submitted to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet of the House Energy and Commerce Committee” is found at http://files.cwa-union.org/speedmatters/20070517LCohenTestimony.pdf.

His first words are “The United States has fallen to 16th  in the world in broadband adoption. Americans pay more for slower connection speeds than people in other countries. Too many Americans, especially those in rural areas or low-income households, aren’t connected.”

The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), states something very similar: “The United States is currently the only industrialized nation without a national policy for promoting broadband.”

According to the DLC, during the decade of the 1990s, the United States was a leader in instituting broadband access in the country, when compared with other industrialized countries in the world. However, in the 2000s, the United States began to drop its prominence with regards to broadband access.

In 2001, the United States was fourth in broadband adoption rates. In 2007, the United States is 12th in the world, according to the DLC, and 16th in the world, according to the CWA. The DLC states that several studies show the United States is consistently falling behind with regards to broadband usage.

According to a 2001 report by the Brookings Institution, widespread adoption of broadband in the United States would add $500 million to the national economy and create 12 million jobs each year. The direct and indirect benefits of a country connected with broadband ranges from reduced traffic; increased accessibility to local, state, and federal employees and officials; improved environment; more even distribution of jobs; improved medical records; better education; and the list goes on and on.

Additional information, along with a list of interested organizations concerned with broadband usage, is found at the DCL website: http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=254293&subid=276&kaid=139.

Many Internet speed tests are available. Perform a search and test your own Internet Service Provider (ISP) as to your own download speed.

Author’s note: In central Illinois, using Speakeasy (http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/) my download speed from Peoria, Illinois to San Francisco, California was 1.074 megabits per second; to Dallas, Texas, 1.671; to Chicago, Illinois, 1.578, to Atlanta, Georgia, 1.656, and to Washington, D.C. 1.464. My average download speed was 1.481 megabits per second.

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