Mexico is only major LatAm country to hit global average connection speed - study

Mexico was the only major Latin American country to meet the global average internet connection speed in the first quarter of this year, as measured by internet content delivery network specialist Akamai.

According to Akamai's Q1 State of the Internet report, the global average connection speed increased 1.8% quarter-over-quarter and 245 year-over-year, reaching 3.9Mbps at end-Q1. The study is based on fixed connections made to Akamai's Intelligent Platform during the quarter.

Mexico, with a recorded 3.9Mbps average connection speed in the period, was the only one of the main Latin American economies to hit the global threshold according to an interactive map created by Akamai.

Apart from Mexico, only small Caribbean islands met or surpassed the global average, including Bahamas (6.3Mbps), Grenada (4.9Mbps), Jamaica (4.9Mbps), Trinidad and Tobago (4.5Mbps) and Barbados (3.9Mbps).

Puerto Rico was listed in Akamai's study as part of the US and therefore had a 11Mbps average connection speed. Canada's average connection in Q1, in turn, was 9.7Mbps.

The 10 highest Latin American average connection speeds, aside from Mexico and the Caribbean nations, were the following: Uruguay (3.8Mbps), Ecuador (3.3Mbps), St. Lucia (3.2Mbps), Chile (3.3Mbps), Argentina (3.2Mbps), Colombia (3Mbps), Haiti (2.8Mbps) Peru (2.7Mbps), Brazil (2.6Mbps) and Panama (2.6Mbps).

At the bottom end of the regional ranking, with less than 1Mbps, were Bolivia (945Kbps) and Cuba (672kbps). The global ranking is topped by South Korea (23.6Mbps) and Japan (14.6Mbps).

Akamai considers "high broadband" connections to be those greater than 10Mbps and "broadband" connections as those of 4Mbps or more. The company predicts the global average will surpass the 4Mbps broadband threshold by next quarter.

URUGUAY

Of the entire Americas region, Uruguay presented the highest average connection growth, of 37% q-o-q and 151% y-o-y. The country also led the American continent, and ranked 9th globally, for the fastest average connection peak in Q1 of 45.4Mbps, for 24% q-o-q and 206% y-o-y expansions.

Uruguay is also the Latin American country with the highest percentage of its connections considered "high broadband" at 4.5%. It is followed by Mexico (2.2%), Argentina (2%), Chile (1.1%) and Brazil (1%).