As of March 2025, Singapore had the fastest fixed broadband internet worldwide, with an average download speed of 345.33 Mbps. The UAE ranked second at 313.55 Mbps, while Hong Kong followed in third. Fixed internet connections deliver broadband to a home, office, or other fixed premises, with fiber connections offering the best quality service.

Countries with the highest speeds demonstrate examples of efficient infrastructure and investment in digital technologies, providing their citizens with fast and stable internet. In contrast, countries with low speeds face numerous challenges, especially economic ones.

As of June 2024, Qatar had the fastest average mobile internet connection worldwide, nearly 335 Mbps. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed, registering average median speed above 323 Mbps. Fixed-connection speeds around the world When it comes to fixed broadband connections, Singapore tops the list of countries by average connection speed. Internet users in Singapore achieve an average fixed broadband connection speed of 242.01 Mbps, slightly faster than the 222.49 Mbps achieved in Chile, the second-placed country on the speed rankings. 5G and 6G – the future of mobile broadband In countries where it is in use, 5G is already bringing faster mobile internet connection speeds than ever before. In Saudi Arabia for example, the average 4G connection speed sits at 28.9 Mbps, and this speed jumps to 414.2 Mbps on a 5G connection. Now that 5G is commercially available, researchers have already turned their attention to 6G. Operating at a higher spectrum band, 6G will allow connections several times faster than 5G. User experienced data rates of 5G sit at 100 Mbps, and this speed is expected to climb to 1,000 Mbps on 6G connections. 6G is expected to not only provide faster speeds, but also enable more devices to connect to a network without causing congestion as it has a connection density ten times greater than that of 5G.

The statistic shows the countries with the highest average internet connection speed during the first quarter of 2017, measured in Megabits per second. During that quarter, IPv4 internet connections in Norway averaged a connection speed of 23.5 Mbps. The global average IPv4 connection speed was 7.2 Mbps.

Average connection speeds are higher in developed Asian countries; South Korea leads with an average connection speed of 28.6 Mbps. This is a growth of more than 9.3 percent to the first quarter of the previous year.

The U.S. states with the highest average internet connection speed include Delaware, District of Columbia and Utah, with first-ranking D.C. having an average connection speed of some 28.1 Mbps as of the first quarter of 2017.

As of the same period, 83 percent of internet users in South Korea enjoyed a connection speed of over 10 Mbps, which is classed as high broadband connectivity. Next in the 10 Mbps broadband adoption rate ranking are Switzerland and the Singapore with 73 percent of high broadband connectivity each. Both Switzerland and Singapore's relatively small size combined with their wealth are a significant factor in terms of telecommunications infrastructure upgrades.

Up until the beginning of 2014, average connection speeds worldwide were under 4 Mbps and by the fourth quarter of 2016, global connection speed averaged at 7 Mbps.

The statistic presents the average download speed of broadband internet in Latin American countries from July 2023 to June 2024 measured in Megabits per second (Mbps). In that period of time, Uruguay presented the highest broadband internet speed in Latin America, with an average download speed of over 111 Mbps.

An analysis of average internet speeds across U.S. states in 2025, highlighting the fastest and slowest regions.

Within the Asia Pacific region, South Korea had the highest average IPv4 internet connection speed at 28.6 megabits per second (Mbps). Considering this, it comes as no surprise that South Korea also had the highest internet penetration rate and the highest 4G download speed  across Asia. This was due to governmental efforts to facilitate the expansion and improvement of internet. 

Current state of internet in Asia 

Although Singapore had the third-fastest average IPv4 connection speed as of 2017, in 2018, it nonetheless had the fastest internet overall with a mean download speed of 60.39 Mbps, surpassing larger countries such as the U.S. and Germany.  Although India and the Philippines had the lowest average internet connection speeds, its year-on-year growth was higher than the leading countries with respectively 87% and 57%. In the Philippines, the government carried out a National Broadband Plan (NBP) to increase nationwide internet access. Similarly, the Indian government had also proposed a national broadband network to connect all cities and villages. 

Internet connection speed explained 

Megabits per second (Mbps) refer to the speed with which information can be downloaded or uploaded from and to the internet. For the Federal Communications Commission, a sufficient broadband internet connection requires a minimum of 25 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. In the world of internet, connection speeds above 20 Mbps enable swift web surfing, HD content streaming as well as fast downloads. 

The average for 2022 based on 194 countries was 7299 thousand subscribers. The highest value was in China: 590000 thousand subscribers and the lowest value was in Chad: 0 thousand subscribers. The indicator is available from 1998 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

As of February 2025, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates ed the ranking of countries with the highest internet penetration rate, all recording ** percent. The worldwide internet penetration rate as of the same research period was **** percent. Most connected regions According to the most recent observations, Northern Europe ranked first among global regions by connectivity rate. The share of the population accessing the internet in this region was nearly ** percent. Western Europe ranked second, followed by Northern America. Overall, the internet reach was higher than ** percent across all European regions, as well as Northern and Southern Americas. Unconnected populations Despite having the biggest online audiences worldwide, India and China are also the markets with the highest number of individuals not connected to the web. Regarding the share of population without internet access in worldwide markets, North Korea ranks first, as the internet in the country remains blocked for most of the general public as of April 2025. Burundi had **** percent of its population unconnected, followed by Chad, with **** percent.

EU Countries with the Highest Share of Households with a Fixed Broadband Connection, 2016 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

The statistic shows the average download speed of broadband internet in Caribbean countries as of June 2023, measured in Megabits per second (Mbps). In that period of time, the Cayman Islands had the highest broadband internet speed in the Caribbean, with an average download speed of over 125 Mbps.

The ranking of internet costs in various countries shows significant differences, driven by economic, political, and infrastructure factors.

EU Countries with the Highest Share of Households with Mobile Broadband Internet Access, 2016 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

As of November 2024, the median download speed of mobile internet in South Korea was about ****** Mbps. Comparatively, the median download speed of mobile internet in Pakistan was approximately ***** Mbps.

The average for 2016 based on 40 countries was 347.95 kilobits per second. The highest value was in Luxembourg: 6887.71 kilobits per second and the lowest value was in Slovakia: 11.46 kilobits per second. The indicator is available from 2012 to 2016. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Internet service providers have enjoyed growth over the current period. Consumers increasingly demanding faster internet speed in developed economies have boosted ISPs' performance amid sluggish subscriber growth. While rising mobile data subscriptions have constrained growth for ISPs in some developing regions, fixed broadband expansion in developing countries like China and India has bolstered growth. The emergence of powerful personal and business internet applications has transformed how businesses and consumers operate and has also presented opportunities for ISPs to offer additional high-margin services, benefitting profit. Overall, industry-wide revenue has been increasing at a CAGR of 6.5% over the past five years and is expected to total $1.7 trillion in 2024, when revenue will climb by an estimated 2.1%. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, ISPs enjoyed a surge in growth in the residential market as work and school shifted to remote, increasing customers' need for faster Internet with greater bandwidth. The falling need for services by businesses and academic institutions offset gains in the residential market and led to overall declines in 2020. Over the outlook period, ISPs will continue to enjoy growth. Climbing average cost per user will spur growth in developed economies as broadband subscription growth slows. While headwinds dissuade ISPs from investing in privatized fiber-to-the-source services in developing regions, consumers growing attraction to faster internet speeds will induce ISPs to make these investments, particularly in Southeast and Central Asia, where government investment is spurring infrastructure growth. Industry revenue is forecast to increase at a CAGR of 2.2% through the end of 2029 to total $1.9 trillion.

Thailand High Speed Internet: Access Rate: Per Number of Household data was reported at 45.730 % in Sep 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 44.360 % for Jun 2019. Thailand High Speed Internet: Access Rate: Per Number of Household data is updated quarterly, averaging 38.380 % from Mar 2016 (Median) to Sep 2019, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 45.730 % in Sep 2019 and a record low of 30.430 % in Mar 2016. Thailand High Speed Internet: Access Rate: Per Number of Household data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Thailand – Table TH.TB003: Internet Statistics: Office of The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission .

As of February 2025, Malaysia led the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in internet adoption, with internet users accounting for **** percent of its population. In contrast, Bangladesh had an internet adoption rate of **** percent. The disparity reveals the complex landscape of internet accessibility and infrastructure development in the region. Challenges and opportunities in developing markets While some Asian countries boast world-leading internet speeds and high adoption rates, others face significant hurdles. South Asian nations like Pakistan and Bangladesh have internet adoption rates below ** percent in 2025. India’s internet penetration rate, at over ** percent, still leaves more than *** million people unconnected to the internet. Yet these gaps also underscore huge growth potential for the region. Rapid progress can be seen in mobile internet adoption in Indonesia in recent years, with penetration estimated to grow from under ** percent in 2020 to over ** percent in 2025, highlighting how quickly connectivity can advance when infrastructure development and affordability are prioritized. . Mobile internet driving greater access The rapid expansion of mobile internet is playing a crucial role in driving internet adoption across Asia. As smartphone ownership is becoming the norm in Asia-Pacific, mobile devices now serve as the primary and most accessible gateway to the internet. The preference for mobile internet access is especially evident in Southeast Asia, where users report spending more online time via smartphones than on computers. In 2023, mobile internet user penetration in the Asia-Pacific region reached ** percent, up from ** percent in 2018. This trend is expected to continue, with projections indicating a ** percent penetration rate by 2030. The growth in mobile internet usage is transforming how people access online services and information, particularly in areas where fixed broadband infrastructure is limited.

The average for 2023 based on 34 countries was 90.47 percent. The highest value was in Luxembourg: 99.35 percent and the lowest value was in Bulgaria: 80.39 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Estonia achieved the best result in the mobile internet speed ranking of all Central and Eastern European countries. Data downloading in this country amounted to 104.08 Mbps while uploading 15.76 as of May 2024. Other countries with fast mobile internet were Lithuania and Bulgaria. However, Latvia and Kosovo became the leaders in the ranking of the lowest ping speed among other countries in the CEE region.