Yes indeed, all countries have access to the internet. The only difference is not all countries view the internet the same, they don’t have the same advancement in technology or level of infrastructure. Factors that affect the internet include location, where you’re connecting to and the types of networks that the connection must pass. However, the two main factors that affect speed are expertise and money.
On the side of the internet service providers, it comes down to the amount spent on infrastructure, bandwidth and ability of the organization. The same applies to the side of the users namely, how much we spend on performance equipment and the skills to use it.
Why do Some Nations Have Slow Internet?
There are many reasons why one nation may have slower internet than another. This includes things like the controls put in place by the government and the type of network the connection goes through.
The Top 10 fastest internet countries are the ones with advanced technologies and high personal freedom. The ones with the slowest internet are those with the least infrastructure and most restrictions on personal freedoms.
The Quality of the Exchange Makes the Most Difference
If the old style DSLAMs is the one being used, the speeds could be as low as 7Mbps. With an upgrade to fiber optic, this increases to 50, 100 or even 1000Mbps.
Bandwidth Amount
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be streamed at a given time. With a higher bandwidth, the more data and faster downloads and connections. Bandwidth is the highest cost to ISPs and the only way they have of controlling how you use the internet.
If your ISP flags you for high data usage or they don’t like the type and source of your data, they can slow (throttle) your connection. Internet throttling is intentionally slowing down your connection speeds by slashing the amount of available bandwidth.
Technical Competence of Internet Providers
When it comes to competence, your ISP must connect state of the art technology with knowledgeable operators to offer high-quality internet services.
The Quality of the Line
A fiber optic line is better than a copper line but only if the fiber optics provides the best connection speeds than copper. A high-grade copper wire gives better connection speeds than a low-grade fiber optic line.
Many networks use a combination of fiber and copper with fiber being used on the main line and copper to the end-user.
Your Equipment
The equipment and settings that you use to connect to the internet has an impact on your connection speed.
This includes your routers and modems, whether purchased from an electronic shop or offered by your ISP.
Government Control
Even with proper infrastructure and equipment, the government can control your internet speeds. Countries with high levels of personal freedom, unimpeded access points and low levels of internet control have higher speeds. Those that limit freedom experience slower connections.
The Last Mile
This phrase describes the last mile in the network or the final leg of the connection to the end-user. In today’s tech world, it could mean the copper wires connecting your house to the telephone line, the coaxial TV cable or the signal from the local cell tower.
When it comes to internet speeds, this is the biggest cause of bottlenecks. Fiber to the home (FTTH) should be used throughout the line, the local network, and connections to the home.