Peter Kafka

Recent Posts by Peter Kafka

Poky Web Connection? Get Yourself to Delaware (Or Japan).

If you find yourself constantly cursing as your laptop struggles to stream a video clip, perhaps it’s time to consider a move. What about Delaware?

I’ve never stepped foot in the state, though I have peered out at Wilmington from the window of an Amtrak car. But Akamai (AKAM) tells me I’ve get better odds of getting a high-speed connection there than anywhere else in the U.S.: 62 percent of the state’s Internet connections run at more than five megabits per second, and the state has the highest average speed in the country. The numbers come via the content delivery network’s quarterly “State of the Internet” report, out today.

According to Akamai, 5Mbps fits its definition of “high broadband,” and it’s the speed the company says you’ll need to have in order to watch a DVD-quality movie on your PC, though a mere 2Mbps will let you watch a TV show.

Of course, if you’re really want a good broadband connection, you’re better off living outside of the U.S. altogether. America ranks 18th in the world in average connection speed, and lags behind 11 other countries when it comes to “high broadband” connections. And if you’re reading this in Japan or South Korea, chances are this page got to your screen very, very quickly.

You can see the full report for yourself here. More interested in babies on rollerskates? OK. I can accommodate that need, too:

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