"Average" U.S. Broadband Speed 5.1 Mbps

The overall average (presumably the arithmetic "mean,") broadband access speed for the United States as a whole in the fourth quarter of 2010 was 5.1 Mbps, according to Akamai.  Consistent with the prior three quarters, the "average" connection speed was exceeded by 21 states and the District of Columbia.

Across the whole country, 43 states and the District of Columbia saw average connection speeds increase year-over-year, with growth rates ranging from a significant 44 percent increase in Montana to a scant 0.7 percent increase in New York. For the seven states that saw average connection speeds decline year-over-year, the losses were fairly modest, ranging from a drop of 0.2 percent in Pennsylvania to a drop of 8.5 percent in Mississippi, Akamai says.

The overall average peak connection speed calculated by Akamai for the United States as a whole for the fourth
quarter was just over 20 Mbps. This was once again met or exceeded by 21 states and the District of Columbia.

read more here