What is the American dream? It is the belief that anyone in the United States, irrespective of his or her class, race, or religion, can attain great success in the society that provides equal opportunities for everyone. The dream is achieved through dedication, hard work, sacrifice, and belief in the system. The American Dream strives everyone to work more in the respective fields and make the country best wherever possible.
However, when it comes to internet speed and its accessibility, the US is a bit behind than most of the countries. When we compare the States with average download speed worldwide, we rank 8th with an average download speed close to 32 Mbps. Therefore, necessary action is required to make sure that every corner of the country has access to the internet so that we lead the world as we do in all other fields.
There are different types of internet connections in the US for the delivery of the internet. Before understanding the average speeds in the US, we must understand the type of connections available.
Types of Internet Connection in the US
Here are some of the types of connection in the US:
Cable: We have an extensive network of cable in the country. These coaxial cables are very common and the services span in almost all of the states. These same cables are used for TV and deliver high-speed internet. Coaxial cables have huge potential when it comes to the internet. The connection is quite steady and the speeds are really fast. For example, Mediacom is an internet provider. They have services in many areas and the service is excellent. The internet speeds range from 60 Mbps and go as high as 1 Gigabit. You can view their offers by clicking this link.
Fiber: Fiber internet is a new technology relatively. It is not widely available in the US. The reason being the high infrastructure cost that is associated with the fiber internet. Therefore, it is only available in selected areas and cities. Still, this is the fastest internet technology we have. Instead of coaxial cables, the fiber internet uses a network of special cables made of glass. These cables have more potential and can transmit more data over a certain period. Providers like AT&T, Frontier, and Century Link have fiber internet. The availability varies from location to location. They have internet speeds up to 1 Gigabit on average.
Satellite: Another popular method of getting the internet in the US is through satellite. It is mostly available in areas where cable or fiber does not reach. The internet speeds are slower and the connection is a bit poor. But something is better than nothing. There are many providers providing satellite internet. HughesNet is a popular provider. They have internet speeds up to 25 Mbps.
Cellular: The internet through your cell phone network has speeds depending on the provider you have. We have seen different generations of networking such as 2G, 3G, and 4G. Now, we are about to get 5G internet nationwide. This is will be 100 times faster than the previous 4G network.
Dsl: DSL stands for digital subscriber line and is the advanced form of phone line internet. It uses the same lines similar to the ones our landline does. However, internet speeds are better than dial-up connections.
Average Internet Speed by state
State |
Average Speed |
New Jersey |
52.0 Mbps |
Connecticut |
41.8 Mbps |
Rhode Island |
46.7 Mbps |
New York |
45.2 Mbps |
Massachusetts |
43.5 Mbps |
Delaware |
44.9 Mbps |
Hawaii |
22.5 Mbps |
Maryland |
51.3 Mbps |
California |
29.0 Mbps |
Florida |
41.2 Mbps |
Utah |
37.2 Mbps |
Pennsylvania |
41.4 Mbps |
New Hampshire |
37.4 Mbps |
Washington |
41.0 Mbps |
North Carolina |
42.4 Mbps |
Ohio |
32.1 Mbps |
Illinois |
40.4 Mbps |
North Dakota |
28.6 Mbps |
Nevada |
34.3 Mbps |
Georgia |
39.1 Mbps |
Maine |
21.2 Mbps |
Virginia |
48.7 Mbps |
Colorado |
40.9 Mbps |
Tennessee |
36.6 Mbps |
Oregon |
39.1 Mbps |
Michigan |
28.7 Mbps |
Minnesota |
36.8 Mbps |
South Carolina |
39.3 Mbps |
Arizona |
33.9 Mbps |
Texas |
46.9 Mbps |
Vermont |
22.4 Mbps |
Wisconsin |
37.4 Mbps |
South Dakota |
26.8 Mbps |
Indiana |
36.7 Mbps |
Kentucky |
30.5 Mbps |
Louisiana |
35.1 Mbps |
Idaho |
25.6 Mbps |
Iowa |
24.7 Mbps |
Nebraska |
27.1 Mbps |
Kansas |
39.9 Mbps |
Alabama |
33.7 Mbps |
Missouri |
38.5 Mbps |
New Mexico |
30.0 Mbps |
Alaska |
27.9 Mbps |
West Virginia |
29.9 Mbps |
Wyoming |
26.8 Mbps |
Oklahoma |
40.2 Mbps |
Arkansas |
25.0 Mbps |
Mississippi |
25.2 Mbps |
Montana |
20.3 Mbps |
Providers with the highest internet speeds
Multiple providers are operating in the US at extremely fast speeds. Internet speed depends on the connection type. Providers with fiber or cable internet have a better internet speed. Spectrum and Cox are cable internet providers. They have a coaxial cable network. Spectrum has services in more than 41 states making it one of the biggest providers coverage-wise. Both of these providers have high-speed internet. The maximum amount of speed you can get is close to 1 Gigabit.
Similarly, for fiber internet, many providers are operating in the US. Most of the popular ones include AT&T, Frontier, and CenturyLink. These internet providers have ultra-fast speeds up to 1 Gigabit due to their fiber network. However, the only problem is that the coverage is limited to certain areas where infrastructure is developed. The installation of fiber internet is costly and requires a lot of investment. This is why we will have to wait to see fiber internet nationwide. The same is the case for 5G.