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.
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!