Throughout the invention of the internet, some countries have digitally evolved at a faster pace than others. Even throughout the past few years, America and China have been head-to-head in the race to 5G. But when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of internet speed, you might be surprised with which countries are leading the pack.

Fastest Mobile Internet

As of 2021, United Arab Emirates was leading the world in the fastest mobile internet speed. Not trailing too far behind, though, was South Korea. Given the population of these countries, internet speed is a great need that they have met straight on. Hailing from Northern Europe, Norway holds third place for the fastest mobile internet, although it is closely trailed by Qatar. Other notable countries on this list include China, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.

Fastest Broadband Internet

Broadband internet is a constant internet connection that allows for various devices to be on its network. Today’s broadband internet is much faster than outdated dial-up internet. When it comes to the fastest broadband internet, Monaco leads the pack with a speed of 261.82 Mbps. However, Singapore and Hong Kong trail closely behind Monaco in this race. It is difficult to tell whether one of these countries may steal the first place title in the coming year. A few other countries on this list include Romania, Switzerland, Thailand and France.

One might be surprised by some of the countries in the running for the fastest internet. Many might even wonder why the United States wasn’t listed. However, when it comes to increasing internet speed, many smaller countries actually have an advantage since they do not have as large of ground to cover when it comes time to make these nationwide upgrades. Despite the United States’ technological advancements and national internet usage statistics, its internet speed still is not up to par with some of the other countries mentioned on this list, especially given the fact that many regions in the United States still struggle to gain internet access or cell service.

As you travel abroad, you might come to discover for yourself that the internet speed is better than yours at home. In this day and age, we are lucky to have internet access almost anywhere we go, but there are still many advancements that need to be made to the internet as a whole in order to give equal access to the amenities it provides.