As of May 2026, Ookla’s Speedtest.net shows that Americans are achieving a download speed average of 304.83 Mbps and an upload speed of over 58 Mbps through their fixed broadband connections, ranking them 9th in the world for median fixed broadband speeds.This is the second consecutive month the U.S.has ranked in the 9th spot.
Considering “fast internet speeds” are generally defined as any download speed above 100 Mbps, Americans are doing quite well by this measure. In fact, according to an Allconnect data report, 9 in 10 households can access speeds of at least 100 Mbps.That’s an incredible improvement from over a decade ago, when the U.S.had an average download speed of just 31 Mbps.
In 2013, America ranked 25th among 39 nations for broadband speed.Granted, the rest of the world improved too — Ookla estimates that global speeds went up 28% between 2021 and 2022 alone — but the U.S.has outpaced even that rapid progress.
Much of that improvement resulted from faster fiber optic connections being installed nationwide.56% of Americans have access to fiber internet, with most offering incredibly fast speeds of over 1,000 Mbps.Fastest mobile and internet providers The Speedtest Global Index report for the second half of 2025 found T-Mobile was the fastest mobile operator, with a download speed average of 280.87 Mbps.
AT&T led as the fastest fiber broadband provider with an average download speed of 369.39 Mbps.Fast internet means you have less latency, or time it takes data to travel from one point to another.This means you can access files, launch programs or hold a Zoom meeting without lagging or dropping service.
The difference between mobile broadband and fixed broadband are in the names, one is mobile, like cellphones, and the other is fixed, like cable internet in a house.Fixed is usually the better option for steady internet use because it’s faster and cheaper than mobile.Internet access on your phone is generally used for quick tasks while on the go.
Why is America behind other countries? Despite consistently climbing the rankings over the past decade, the U.S.still ranks well behind several other countries.With over 447 Mbps, Singapore is in the lead, followed by Chile at 393 Mbps.
In recent years, Singapore has held the top spot on this list for 36 out of the last 40 months.So what are these countries doing that we’re not? It’s mostly a square-footage advantage for those countries and a substantial government financial investment.Singapore has much less ground to cover at merely 287 square miles.
For reference, Los Angeles, California, covers 502 square miles.As a center of finance in Asia, Singapore’s economy is also highly dependent on a high-functioning digital infrastructure.Much of the rural areas of the U.S.
aren’t connected to the internet due to the sheer size and the expense of building infrastructure.In the U.S., 97% of the country is considered rural, but as of 2024, only 16.5% of the population lived in a rural area.Americans get fast internet, but we pay more for it An Open Technology Institute report analyzing 760 internet plans across 28 cities in Europe, Asia and North America found that consumers in the U.S.
pay more on average for monthly internet service than consumers abroad.The study reports that the average U.S.internet price across all plans in its dataset is $68.38/mo.
for standalone internet service, including equipment rental fees and discounts.The analysis also determined that while the U.S.does offer fast speeds, like those provided by fiber optic internet, these speeds are still the most expensive in the U.S. Even though we get and use fast broadband speeds on average, that’s a lot to pay.
According to the FCC’s International Broadband Report, the U.S.came in 21st of 26 countries on the “Fixed Hedonic Price Index” — which adjusts for “cost, demographic and quality differences across the countries.” Of course, the U.S.is more spread out geographically than most of the countries on the list, so costs for delivering broadband will necessarily be higher.
But some heavy internet users might be better off here than anywhere else. “For so-called bandwidth hogs who stream lots and lots of video, the U.S.offers some of the lowest cost per megabit transmission speed and megabyte data delivered,” Penn State telecommunications professor Rob Frieden told Politifact.That’s one way to tilt the price-value ratio in your favor — start streaming more Netflix. Americans may be doing well on average, but it’s not spread equally The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) latest 2023 data shows 92.2% of U.S.
households have access to internet speeds of 100 Mbps or above.However, satellite internet is often the only game in town in rural areas, and it can be expensive and have high latency.Still, new wireless providers like T-Mobile and Verizon have stepped in to offer inexpensive alternatives like fixed wireless to satellite in many rural areas.
That said, those with access to fiber internet are largely concentrated around cities, likely skewing U.S.broadband averages significantly.Not everyone in the country benefits from that knowledge similarly.
We still have an internet divide in the U.S.While some people are getting 1,000 Mbps download speed — enough bandwidth to stream 4K video on 40 TVs simultaneously — others are struggling to check their emails. Allconnect’s regional internet connectivity reports dive deeper into this issue.Find out where your state ranks for internet availability in Allconnect’s access report.
The future of U.S.internet speed The U.S.certainly still has a lot of issues to work out with its broadband infrastructure — the rural internet divide is significant among them — but the latest numbers are still encouraging.
A median speed of 300 Mbps would be plenty for all but the highest-usage homes.The problem is just making sure everyone can access speeds that high.Studies show that fiber and fixed wireless providers are seeing connection increases.
With speeds reaching 10 Gbps and more, fiber is the future.Fixed wireless hits 200 to 500 Mbps in download speed, keeping smart homes with two to three heavy internet users seamlessly online.Fiber internet is expensive to install and requires miles of infrastructure, which explains why large parts of the U.S.
don’t have it available yet. “You might have to run the cable across many things, including, but not limited to, highways, cemeteries, and state parks.Environmental obstacles within and around buildings can quickly turn your installation of fiber optic materials into a costly and time-consuming project,” reports Atlantech Online.Internet speed FAQs What is the average download speed in the U.S.? In the U.S., the average internet speed is 305 Mbps according to Speedtest.net.
What are internet speeds worldwide? Speeds across the globe vary from over 447 Mbps in Singapore to about 5 Mbps in Afghanistan.Which internet provider has the fastest median download speed? AT&T has the fastest median download speed among top fixed broadband providers in the U.S.at 369.39 Mbps.
What is a good internet speed? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines fast broadband as 100 Mbps in download speed.Most internet types, like fiber or cable, average 300 Mbps as starting speeds.That speed can keep a midsize family seamlessly connected.
How do internet speeds vary by region? Terrain, population density, demand and expense all play into where internet infrastructure is built and what type is available.How can I improve my internet speed? You can try a few tricks to boost your internet speed before paying for a higher-speed plan.Some ideas include optimizing your router settings, keeping your router updated, resetting it frequently and keeping it in a high, clear spot in the middle of the house.
For researchers and journalists If you would like to know more about this topic, we can assist you.Our experts can help you dig deeper into the data.Email our experts What to read next Read more Featured Fixed wireless subscribers are up 400% since the start of 2022, but cable still has the most overall subscribers Camryn Smith — 6 min read Featured Broadband speed standard increased to 100 Mbps Robin Layton — 3 min read Featured Report: Internet users are gobbling data by more than a half-terabyte Robin Layton — 4 min read Latest Friday, July 17, 2026 Americans are getting 305 Mbps in download speed, but are you? Robin Layton — 5 min read Friday, July 17, 2026 Most people never change their DNS server — should you? Camryn Smith — 5 min read Thursday, July 16, 2026 How to set up your Amazon Alexa devices Lisa Iscrupe — 5 min read
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