Looking at the latest global download speed rankings from Ookla isn’t generally a wise thing to do when you live in Hawaii. See, shortly before I started writing this, I tested my internet provider’s download speeds.
The result? It topped out at 7.52 million bits per second (mbps). Not too shabby, eh? Yeah, if you live in Montenegro (7.79 mbps), Kenya (7.34 mbps) or Libya (7.09 mbps) perhaps. But folks elsewhere have things considerably faster:
• Singapore: 100.18 mbps
• Hong Kong: 96.42 mbps
• Romania: 62.15 mbps
• Sweden: 50.12 mbps
• Lithuania: 46.87 mbps
Need I go on? Sure, why not: a friend recently got back from rural Oregon, and found that he could get download speeds around 50 mbps there.
Depressed yet? Good: the State of Hawaii just announced that it’s calling for volunteers to measure internet performance statewide.
“Participants will receive free devices called ‘whiteboxes’ that plug into their cable or DSL modem,” states a Dec. 8 news release from the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. “The device runs periodic tests to measure the speed and quality of the participants’ Internet service. The boxes do NOT collect personal browsing data and will not affect the participants’ Internet experience. Participants will receive access to a personal reporting suite that allows them to monitor their own Internet service performance in real-time.”
I reiterate: rural Oregon is getting 50 mbps download speeds, while Wailuku is getting less than 8.0 mpbs.
Click here for more information on how to take part in the survey.
Photo: Apdency/Wikimedia Commons
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