U.S. Average Internet Access Speed Grows 69% Last 12 Months

It always is hard for regulators to keep up with the pace of change in the Internet and even telecom ecosystems. Not so long ago, the Federal Communications Commission decided to base its broadband measurements on speeds of 4 Mbps. 

To be sure, there is a difference between a ceiling and a floor, so regulatory officials recently have been talking about how to get to 100 Mbps as a goal. 

Already, though, about 25 percent of U.S. locations are connecting at speeds higher than 10 Mbps, Akamai says, while peak rates are above 36 Mbps. 

Year over year, average bandwidth is increasing 69 percent, Akamai also says.