In previous blogs, I’ve noted that about half of US households have broadband (also called high-speed Internet) and that many fewer have access to broadband worldwide.
According to Wired, about 3% of the world’s population has access to broadband, but more importantly, the cost of access can vary wildly. In Japan, DSL or cable users typically pay $0.06/100 Kbps (0.002% of their monthly salary) for high-speed access, while people in Kenya pay $86.11/100 Kbps (nearly twice their monthly salary). Note the following costs of broadband access in various countries:
Saudi Arabia: $571.82/100 Kbps
Expect to shell out 58% of the average monthly salary for DSL. Not surprisingly, only about 0.1% percent of the population has a connection.
Mozambique: $361.83/100 Kbps
The nation’s civil war is long over but a high-speed connection costs as much as a private army: 1,400 times the average monthly wage.
Pakistan: $106.98/100 Kbps
Local bloggers incensed President Pervez Musharraf’s support of the US must pay nearly twice the average income to have their say.
Kazakhstan: $52.68/100 Kbps
The broadband prices, it’s nice? Not so much. The 2,000 Kazakhstani users must sacrifice one-fifth of the average monthly salary for access.
Bolivia: $39.06/100 Kbps
There are only about 11,000 broadband customers in Bolivia, but each forks over nearly half of the average monthly wage to get online.
Russia: $28.13/100 Kbps
The 1.6 million users who may want to stream President Putin’s latest judo moves surrender 8% of the average pay for the privilege.
Nicaragua: $14.65/100 Kbps
No wonder this Central American country has only 6,600 high-speed customers, access costs a fifth of the average monthly paycheck.
United States: $0.49/100 Kbps
The nearly 60 million broadband subscribers in the US typically pay 0.01% of their average monthly salary for a connection.
Netherlands: $0.14/100 Kbps
Toptoe through the tulips and you will find 4.1 million broadband customers enjoying some of the lowest prices on the planet.
South Korea: $0.08/100 Kbps
South Korea boasts 12.2 million broadband users, some of the world’s highest speeds, and low prices, second only to Japan.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The nearly 60 million broadband subscribers in the US typically pay 0.01% of their average monthly salary for a connection.
I think that should be 1% (1/100, not 1/10,000), not .01%.
Assuming an average bill of $20, spending .01% of your salary would mean you make 200K a month. Not too shabby!
MY DSL BILL IS $42 PER MONTH AND I DON’T MAKE 4,200.00 MONTH. I HAD BETTER DISCONNECT AND GO TO DIAL UP!