Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Does this bring back awful memories of dial-up? notionscapital via Flickr/Creative Commons

It might not feel like it, but Ireland has the second fastest internet in the world

But our peak speeds aren’t too great.

IRELAND HAS JUMPED up the rankings of countries with the fastest internet, and now stands second in the world.

The latest State of the Internet report by Akamai places the average speed for internet in Ireland at 17.4Mbps, an increase of 37% compared to the previous survey late last year.

We’re among South Korea (23.6Mbps), Hong Kong (16.7Mbps), Sweden (15.8Mbps), and the Netherlands (15.3Mbps) in the top five.

But things might feel a little different on the ground. It emerged in recent days that some rural parts of the north-west could have to wait as much as another 6 years for the roll out of broadband.

The National Broadband Plan – which looks at extending broadband into areas that currently do not have coverage – will be rolled out from 2016, with its full installation expected to be completed over a three- to five-year period – potentially going into 2021.

According to the search published today, Ireland ranks 48th out for broadband adoption in the Europe, Middle East, and Asia region.

PastedImage-83974

For average peak connection speeds we fail to make the top ten.

This is classed as “highest connection speed calculated from each unique IP address determined to be in a specific country/region”.

“We note that we believe that the average peak connection speed is more representative of Internet connection capacity,” David Belson, a senior director at Akamai, said.

These speeds wouldn’t be encountered through normal usage, but could be spotted when downloading big files.

PastedImage-69058

The average speed of the internet across the globe reached above 5Mbps for the first time in the first quarter of this year.

Akamai’s survey also analysed mobile data usage. Ireland has an average speed of 7.4 Mbps, placing us tenth in Europe.

Several countries had peak speeds of more than 50 Mbps, potentially due to the roll out of 4G and LTE technologies.

Usage of mobile data has skyrocketed in recent years, after starting to take off in late 2009.

PastedImage-31039

Read: Donegal could face a bit of a wait for broadband >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
56 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute luke frankus
    Favourite luke frankus
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:42 PM

    We have the second best internet in the world? I feel bad for the rest of the world!!

    310
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Terry OCallaghan
    Favourite Terry OCallaghan
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 10:25 PM

    what a complete pile of bullshit

    83
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Andrea Brown
    Favourite Andrea Brown
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 9:29 AM

    The article is nonsense. It is clear they talking about theoretical speeds, not practical speeds in Ireland.

    In Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denbmark they plan to have 1gig rolled out to everyone over the next year or two and have already installed in some towns. Also there present 100meg systems are a lot faster than Ireland.

    Japan and South Korea are faster than Ireland by an enorous amount.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Banna
    Favourite Seamus Banna
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:37 PM

    If you are in a city or town then great. The rest of Ireland is basically offline.

    250
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
    Favourite Crocodylus Pontifex
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 8:03 PM

    Totally worth it though. I’ll happily wait a few years for broadband to continue living in rural Ireland.

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kieran Roche
    Favourite Kieran Roche
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 8:26 PM

    There are plenty local providers in rural Ireland.I live very rural and have top quality net with receiver and radio waves.Netflix u tube ect never freezes

    32
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
    Favourite Crocodylus Pontifex
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 11:17 PM

    No line of sight for me

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian J Cowan
    Favourite Brian J Cowan
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:22 PM

    Blah, blah, Eircom ruined my life…blah blah

    229
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Dunne
    Favourite Jack Dunne
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:15 PM

    It’s like saying Ireland has the second longest grass in Ireland on average, it’s totally subjective

    72
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TheIrishBrain
    Favourite TheIrishBrain
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:31 PM
    10
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jorge Thompson
    Favourite Jorge Thompson
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 11:08 AM

    Sorry, I can’t watch that youtube video, my connection’s too slow.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Kenny
    Favourite Tom Kenny
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:23 PM

    How will the moaners have a moan about this ?

    81
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute little jim
    Favourite little jim
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:24 PM

    By postcard of course.

    139
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jimmy McCarthy
    Favourite Jimmy McCarthy
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:45 PM

    They must have never heard of Rural Broadband …. that would move the decimal point two places to the left …… it would be interesting to see the comparison between countries with regards to download limits and average costs …

    61
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gus Sheridan
    Favourite Gus Sheridan
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:02 PM

    Shite comes out of a cows bum quicker than rural broadband speeds!

    82
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Old Gordon
    Favourite Old Gordon
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 8:05 PM

    I get 10mb/s out in the shticks of West Cork. Ye lads must be plugging your wire into a potato.

    39
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Boyne Sharky
    Favourite Boyne Sharky
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 8:59 PM

    Surely it’s more accurate to say that certain parts of Ireland have very fast broadband available, if you’re willing to sell your firstborn to pay for it, while other parts have speeds akin to half a dozen carrier pigeons towing a tractor.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Powerful Sayings
    Favourite Powerful Sayings
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:38 PM

    have to say my internet is very good. I lived in South Korea for a year and was getting 8 mbs which is good but when I came home I was getting 40 mbs.

    59
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Supernova
    Favourite Supernova
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:46 PM

    While you were in South Korea, you should of threw a few routers and laptops over the border.. They could do with them

    73
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pasceasy
    Favourite Pasceasy
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:33 PM

    Haha..lol..ha.
    Joke of the day..!!
    Well done journal.

    46
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute HRH The Brummie
    Favourite HRH The Brummie
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:47 PM

    lies, dam lies and statistics…. say no more.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
    Favourite Drew TheChinaman :)
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:29 PM

    Why is it acceptable to moan that you can’t get high speed broadband out in the country when bought a house for 100′s of thousands less, have twice the space and none of the noise or traffic.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason Wilson
    Favourite Jason Wilson
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 10:48 PM

    not necessary, most people who build in the country build on inherited land. only those who can afford to do so build expensive houses. the majority of people I know have built fairly humble houses with building costs working out much cheaper than buying in a town. Quite a silly statement actually, should all rural people go live in towns?

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason
    Favourite Jason
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:35 PM

    I have a 24mbps ADSL line, get 18 – 20mbps consistently on awireless connection.

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Willie Tierney
    Favourite Willie Tierney
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 9:24 PM

    must have tested at 5am when nobody was online.

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cross
    Favourite Cross
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:24 PM

    Sure it is….

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Charles Rex
    Favourite Charles Rex
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:28 PM

    60.8Mbps down 12.8Mbps up here. happy out.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute bacoxy
    Favourite bacoxy
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:34 PM

    Sick of people who live out in the arshole of nowhere but complain about no broadband.

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Powerful Sayings
    Favourite Powerful Sayings
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 10:07 PM

    bull. I just turned off my WiFi and 3g to send this message..when I press post it will keep trying to post until it finds connection.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rosa Parks
    Favourite Rosa Parks
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 3:23 AM

    Bacoxy I live in Wexford town and its a lottery whether you have fibre optic broadband out here. Eircom should have been separated from the local loop before it was sold off.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kp Gumbo
    Favourite Kp Gumbo
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:23 PM

    Third try at sending this message as my vodafone broadband is so Shiite !!! 2nd best my arse

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jonny Lennon
    Favourite Jonny Lennon
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:01 PM

    this is utter rubbish on a grand scale, we would be lucky to make the top 20, who on earth comes up with this nonsense.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute davidMbyrne.com
    Favourite davidMbyrne.com
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:57 PM

    Enjoy upwards of 30mb consistently. And no, not in a urban area and yes, am with Eircom.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason Wilson
    Favourite Jason Wilson
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 10:42 PM

    Unless you are in one of the very few rural villages that is getting fibre (30mb is poor for fibre) you are not getting any more than 24. 24 is the maximum a dsl broadband line can handle.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kizzi Yeates
    Favourite Kizzi Yeates
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:03 PM

    Now why would you want Broadband when you have all those squishy bogs to trot on ?

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cross
    Favourite Cross
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:26 PM

    Ha! I’m sure it is…

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Affinity
    Favourite Affinity
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 6:47 PM

    On a really good day maybe 5m normally between 2 and 3. The exchange has it but they com provider won’t put the cable in to bring it up to 50.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Murphy
    Favourite Mark Murphy
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:31 PM

    1.03 mbps download speed. 0.78 mbps upload speed. tested 10 mins ago. where do you find these speedy figures?

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip Kenna
    Favourite Philip Kenna
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:34 PM

    Bollocks!!

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin O' Neill
    Favourite Martin O' Neill
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:17 PM

    Utter Tripe!

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Glenard
    Favourite Glenard
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:01 PM

    Donegal doesn’t get a look in here

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul MacNulty
    Favourite Paul MacNulty
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:31 PM

    Total utter crap……………

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rosa Parks
    Favourite Rosa Parks
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:09 PM

    Mine is just 3.7mbps.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adam Ryan
    Favourite Adam Ryan
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 10:59 PM

    Tested last night getting 0.38 down living 2 minutes from a major town with eircom.Its ridiculous!

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dain Flemming
    Favourite Dain Flemming
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 7:31 PM

    “Lies, damn lies and statistics” comes to mind as a way of describing this.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Wallis
    Favourite Stephen Wallis
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 8:25 PM

    Lies, damn lies and statistics: take into account Standard Deviation to get a fuller picture.

    Also note that when “highest connection speed calculated from each unique IP address… in a specific country/region” is calculated, Ireland doesn’t even make the top ten.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard
    Favourite Gerard
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 6:21 AM

    Do people not understand the concept of relativity? Just because your internet is shite doesn’t mean the average connection in Ireland is. And even if they are the ranking means that other countries are MORE shite. What’s with with all the “Yeah obviously not true”. Akamai supply content delivery to a huge number of large companies. Their data is more reliable than your feelings about your own connection. Be positive FFS.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Monika Smulska
    Favourite Monika Smulska
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 10:12 PM

    Buuuuuuuuuhahahhahahhahahahhaha good one

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Darán
    Favourite Darán
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 11:53 PM
    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keith Miller
    Favourite Keith Miller
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 8:48 PM

    Could someone run a global service COST comparison for us please? I suspect that might be very interesting.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason Yourell
    Favourite Jason Yourell
    Report
    Jun 27th 2015, 11:26 PM

    Technical term for rural broadband = bogband

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Moylan
    Favourite John Moylan
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 9:35 PM

    …if they subtract the top tier connection of Google/Microsoft/Paypal et al I think you’ll find our speeds are shite. …

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keith Miller
    Favourite Keith Miller
    Report
    Jun 25th 2015, 8:35 PM

    Anyone know how they compare on cost. Now that would be a very interesting statistic I bet!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Timber Planks
    Favourite Timber Planks
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 6:53 AM

    Live ten minutes from the suburbs of Dublin! 3mgs! How is that the second best in the world! Complete BS of statistics pulled from the ass!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute B-bob
    Favourite B-bob
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 7:30 AM

    These stats are twisted into complete tribble, it wouldn’t matter if the main hub was pumping out millions upon millions mps, if it can’t get to the customer s what the point, U.S. Would be as well throwing a welt up o Connell street,

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Terry O'Dowd
    Favourite Terry O'Dowd
    Report
    Jun 26th 2015, 9:14 AM

    I’m living in the sticks, and this is the best I can get: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4460801237

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds