Mexico, Ecuador the only major LatAm countries to hit global average connection speeds

Mexico and Ecuador are the only major countries in Latin America to have average internet connections speeds in line with or above the global average, according to the Q3 State of the Internet study released by internet content delivery network specialist Akamai(Nasdaq: AKAM).

In the third quarter of 2013, the global average connection speed maintained an upward trend, growing 10% quarter-over-quarter to 3.6Mbps. That figure was achieved based on connections made only to Akamai's Intelligent Platform during the quarter.

According to Akamai, Ecuador recorded an average connection speed of 3.6Mbps in the quarter, exactly hitting the global average, while Mexico registered 3.9Mbps. On a comparison basis for the Americas as a whole, Canada's average connection was 8.8Mbps and the US's was 9.8Mbps.

Regarding other major Latin American countries assessed in the study, Chile is said to have hit an average speed of 3.3Mbps, followed by Colombia (3Mbps), Argentina (2.8Mbps), Brazil (2.7Mbps), Panama (2.7Mbps) and Peru (2.4Mbps).

Some small Caribbean islands also managed to meet or surpass the global average. This was the case for Grenada, with a 4Mbps average, Trinidad and Tobago (3.8Mbps) and Barbados (3.6Mbps).

Akamai considers "high broadband" connections to be those greater than 10Mbps and "broadband" connections as those of 4 Mbps or more. That means that no country in the Americas region had average connection speeds in the high broadband range as defined by Akamai, while only the US, Canada and Grenada were in the broadband range.

Ecuador saw the largest y-o-y increase in its global average connections speeds in the Americas region, with 53% growth over the 3Q12 figures. On a quarter-over-quarter basis, growth was 23%.

Argentina increased its average speeds by 33% y-o-y and 40% q-o-q, while Venezuela recorded a 41% y-o-y and 18% q-o-q growth.

Worldwide, South Korea continued to be the undisputed broadband leader with a 22.1Mbps average connection speed in the third quarter, according to Akamai.

With regard to average peak connection, the US and Canada again led the Americas with 37Mbps and 34.8Mbps respectively, while Ecuador led Latin America with 18.5Mbps.

Ecuador is followed by Chile (17.2Mbps), Mexico (17.1Mbps), Brazil (16.7Mbps) and Colombia (15.9Mbps).