Report: U.S. is 32nd Worldwide on Broadband Affordability

The United States ranks thirty-second in the world on internet affordability, according to new research from Broadband Genie, a provider of data about broadband services. Broadband affordability is defined by the percentage of a country’s average salary that would need to be spent to cover the average cost of internet connectivity.

Broadband Genie estimates that the average monthly U.S. broadband bill is $72.20 and the average monthly salary is $4,083.26. That means U.S. residents spend just under 1.8% of their monthly salaries on broadband.

Worldwide, subscribers spend 3.8% of their monthly salary on broadband.

In North America overall, high speed Internet consumes 3.04% of users’ salaries. Canada is 41st on Broadband Genie’s internet affordability rankings.

Regionally, Europe had the most affordable broadband. The Americas were third. Africa had the least affordable broadband.

“The United States and Canada both have one of the highest internet costs,” Alex Tofts, the Broadband Expert for Broadband Genie, said in a summary. “It’s driven by a lack of competition and bigger distances to connect, with lower population density than other developed countries. However, both have average wages in the top fifteen in the world, compensating for the high cost of internet.”

The five countries with the most affordable broadband were Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark, and Finland. In all of those countries, broadband costs less than 1% of the average salary.

The countries with the least affordable internet are Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, Papua New Guinea. Broadband costs more than 80% of the average monthly salary in all three countries.

A study conducted by NTIA last year found that three in four U.S. households that do not have home internet would use it only if the service were free.

This piece was originally published on Telecompetitor on July 7, 2023, and is reprinted with permission.