Americans pay more for slower Internet

By Francisco Casillas  |Staff Writer|

The United States ranks low in terms of getting faster Internet speeds for a lower price compared to other countries, according to a report released Thursday, Oct. 30 by Open Technology Institute.
“Data suggests that most U.S. Internet service providers lag behind European and Asian cities in terms of what consumers pay for 25 megabits per second (Mbps) of service, and what consumers can get for $50,” stated the report.
Los Angeles ranks low in average price of plans ranging from 25 to 50 Mbps. The average price for Los Angeles stand at under $70 a month, although cities like London are as low as $25 a month for the same speeds
Currently, cities like Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Paris all offer speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for under $40, while places in the U.S. can reach prices upwards of $100 for the same speeds.
High-speed Internet users in Chattanooga and Kansas City pay $70, while in Lafayette it’s $110, according to an article by CNN.
The average download speed of plans increased from 233 Mbps in 2012 to about 500 in 2013, and almost 650 Mbps in 2014.
“Virtually every city in this ranking has seen an annual increase in its top speed offering since 2012,” stated the report.
Some students believe the local Internet works fine as a whole.
“I don’t think that the average American will pay as much. Big businesses on the other hand are entitled to faster speeds because they want it fast,” said student Pablo Alvarez, a communication major.
“The Internet we have right now is pretty fast, but it ultimately depends on what you’re using it for,” added Alvarez.
The study also gathered data on prices for mobile data, including average prices per country.
“Copenhagen is once again the leader of the pack with a seven GB plan at $7.63, while Tokyo offered the most expensive plan at $40.55 for seven GB,” stated the report.
While Google is exploring the option of bringing high-fiber networks to some U.S. cities, it will still be a while before Americans have internet speeds that match that of other countries.