Broadband speeds in Lithuania are among the fastest in the world. Lithuania beat South Korea for the fastest global broadband performance in August 2011.
However, in terms of speed, Hong Kong and Luxembourg have now surpassed Lithuania.
On average, the United States performs at less than half the kbps of any of these countries.
The increased internet speeds in Lithuania are largely owing to the country's investment in fiber-optic infrastructure. Lithuania has the world's highest percentage of households with fiber-to-the-home connections in 2010.
This investment has paid off, as Lithuania today has some of the world's fastest broadband speeds.
In comparison, the United States has trailed behind in terms of broadband speeds. The average broadband speed in the United States is roughly 10 Mbps, which is significantly lower than the speeds in nations such as Lithuania, Hong Kong, and Luxembourg.
There are several causes for the United States' poor performance in terms of broadband speeds. One issue is that the United States has a big geographical region, making it difficult to construct a nationwide network of fiber-optic cables. Another factor is that the United States has many rural locations that are often underserved by broadband providers.
Despite the United States' low performance in internet speeds, there are some bright spots. Chattanooga, Tennessee, for example, boasts some of the fastest broadband speeds in the country because to its investment in a city-wide fiber-optic network. In general, broadband speeds in the United States are gradually increasing as more individuals have access to high-speed Internet.