Sweden is number one in Europe and ranks second in the world when Cisco in a new study has measured how high the quality of broadband is in 42 countries around the world. Cisco Systems has developed a broadband index based on a combination of download and upload speed and also response time.
Japan is the country that internationally, by far, is the highest in the broadband league with a quality index of 98, compared with Sweden ending up in the second place with an index of 55.
Japan has invested early in broadband to provide a competitive advantage and is the only country that is currently prepared to deliver the quality required for next-generation web applications over the next 3-5 years.
The survey shows that there is a clear link between a country's broadband quality and its progress towards becoming a knowledge economy.
Today, broadband is defined as the internet connection, offering download speeds of 256 kilobits per second or higher. The survey is the world´s first global comparative study of broadband quality in different countries. Previous studies have only shown number of households with broadband access.
The survey is sponsored by Cisco and conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford Said Business School and University of Oviedo in Spain.
Broadband Index
1. Japan, 98
2. Sweden, 55
3. Netherlands, 49
4. Latvia, 45
5. Korea, 45
Cecilia Helland