Since there are more people who have relied on fast and steady internet connections throughout the past year, internet providers have stepped up to the plate to provide what consumers need. The overall speed of internet service has increased significantly just over the course of the past few years, which means that the only way that the direction can go is up as new technology is being crafted to further increase speeds and stability. A new report has been released that details some of the top providers who have consistently offered fast internet speeds along with the providers who are among the fastest-growing in the country. After millions of tests were performed for the report, it was discovered that Google Fiber is at the top of the list of fastest-growing companies. Google Fiber also delivers speeds that are higher than the average in the country. The average for the provider is 161 Mbps a month and 2,000 Mbps overall.
Verizon Fios comes in second with speeds that are advertised at over 900 Mbps overall. Xfinity and Astound are close behind Verizon with the speeds that they offer. The key point to take away from this information is that internet speeds have increased over the course of the past few years, making consumers happier as they’re able to work from home, take classes online, and play games without as many interruptions.
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Looking at Availability
When you look at fiber-optic speeds, you’ll usually see that they tend to cap at about 1,000 Mbps. Fiber is the most limited internet connection in the country with DSL usually being available in some way in most areas. A downfall is that DSL isn’t being expanded by internet providers due to the speed and so that customers have the service that they want. However, fiber internet isn’t being placed in small communities and rural areas because of the layout of the land, because there are no main connections that are available, or because it’s simply too expensive to run the lines compared to the number of customers who are in the area.
An option that rural communities have is satellite internet. There are a few limits on this type of connection as there are typically data caps each month and slow connections when it rains. There’s also a limited number of satellites that each provider can use, which means that what was once a widespread option is now being stretched beyond its limit. This means that customers are scrambling to try to find other ways to connect to the internet even though major providers are offering faster speeds.
The pandemic brought to light the need for faster internet service and stable connections. With more people using satellite connections, top providers like HughesNet and Viasat actually saw their overall speeds decrease in the past year. However, companies like Starlink are an option with average speeds of over 50 Mbps in many areas.
Rural Speeds
Even though the internet speeds in large cities have increased, consumers who live in rural areas of the country aren’t seeing the benefits. They either don’t have the proper internet connection to get higher speeds or don’t have a connection at all. While fiber internet has made its way to many areas of the country, rural areas are still seeing DSL and satellite connections instead of fiber optic lines being placed th
