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People in the U.S. Pay More for Slower Internet Than European, Canadian, and Asian Counterparts

posted by janrinok on Sunday October 10 2021, @11:04PM   Printer-friendly
from the I-feel-the-need-for-speed! dept.

upstart writes:

People in the U.S. pay more for slower internet than European, Canadian, and Asian counterparts, according to the Open Technology Institute:

A survey conducted earlier this year by the Pew Research Center found that 7% of Americans lack access to reliable broadband. One reason for this may be how expensive internet access is in the U.S.

"People in the U.S. pay more for slower internet than people abroad," Open Technology Institute policy analyst Claire Park said. "For many consumers, the cost of getting online right now is simply too high and also too complicated."

The Open Technology Institute has been studying the price and speed of internet services advertised within the United States as well as abroad. Its 2020 Cost of Connectivity Report found that the average advertised monthly cost of internet in the U.S. is $68.38, which is higher than the average price of internet access for all of North America, Europe and Asia.

Outdated infrastructure in the U.S. may also be impeding internet access to millions of Americans, and lawmakers have been debating how to increase internet availability and performance.

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  • (Score: 2) by RS3 on Monday October 11 2021, @07:31AM (2 children)

    by RS3 (6367) on Monday October 11 2021, @07:31AM (#1186085)

    From the too dumb to know better dept: I often use my phone as "hotspot" (cell data <-> WiFi), then Windows 7 machine with "Internet Connection Sharing" from Wifi <-> Ethernet. I dunno, it works.

    And this is all because I don't want to deal with the myriad contract and cost games and shenanigans of the Verizons, Comcasts, etc. So I'm using my cell and although I'd love to have a fast land-based line, I surely don't need it.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 11 2021, @12:42PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 11 2021, @12:42PM (#1186113)

    I did this for a few years. Lived on 3GB per month via cell.

    • (Score: 2) by RS3 on Thursday October 14 2021, @12:50AM

      by RS3 (6367) on Thursday October 14 2021, @12:50AM (#1186836)

      I have 8GB / month presently. I can upgrade to 20 or maybe even more now. This carrier doesn't seem to restrict based on "tethering". Maybe they do and I don't notice. If I hit the 8 GB, I still have 'net connection, but it slows to like 100 Kb / second. I think I went over 8 only 1 time. I have full speed unlimited GB at work and various other places I work and frequent so I wait to do updates, downloads, etc., at those locations.

      I keep hearing about "mesh networking" - I'm all in! Sign me up! :)