Much of Europe is falling behind on offering high-speed connectivity
According to Ooklathe company behind the popular broadband speed tool Speedtest, Europe is falling behind its target of bringing high-speed broadband connections to all households by the end of the decade.
Among EU member states, Spain leads the way, promising speeds of more than 100 Mbps to most households, at 87%. At the bottom of the graph, only 38% of German households were promised such speeds.
The European Commission has set targets of 100 Mbps by 2025, and five years later connections of at least 1 Gbps for all EU households.
Most of Europe’s broadband connection is substandard at best
Promises and deliveries yield completely different results, because despite promises of at least 100 Mbps, only 34% of Italian customers actually achieve these speeds. On the other hand, Denmark leads the way with 67%.
For many, fiber optic connections are hampered by the last few meters of cable, which is often copper. In Great Britain, only 43% of households have fiber optic, in Germany this is 21%.
Romania leads the way with a whopping 98%, while it also boasts the highest EU Broadband Price Index score of 95, compared to an EU average of 64 and an EU low of 42 in Belgium (via Invest Romania).
The difference only increases at higher speeds. About 40% of French households have connections of at least 1 Gbps, but only 1.42% indicate that they reach these speeds. The next best countries all report that less than 1% are even close to full gigabit speed.
Among other disappointing realities surrounding upload and download speeds, Ookla also provides advice to the European Commission in an effort to better provide EU citizens with better connections.
The company suggests that better promotions could encourage more consumers to sign up for faster offers, which would encourage broadband companies to improve their networks.
Continued investment was also needed as Europe struggles to meet its targets, allowing fiber to deliver benefits including superior internet speeds, lower latency, improved security and environmental sustainability.