CHP's Ateş: We are behind Congo in internet speed

CHP Bolu MP Türker Ateş underscored that Turkey uses some of the slowest internet in the world.

Ateş said, "We are 113th in the world with a fixed internet speed of 41.5 Mbps. Moreover, we are falling further down the list. We have dropped three more places, falling behind even Burkina Faso, Seychelles, and Congo. A digital divide has formed between us and the world where technological progress is rapid."

In his statement, Ateş drew attention to the information provided by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu at the Turkish Grand National Assembly's Digital Media Commission.

Ateş stated, "Minister Uraloğlu boasts that Turkey's fiber infrastructure length has increased 4.5 times in the last three years, reaching 562 thousand kilometers. However, these fiber investments are a story of the government's failure in our country. The inadequacy of these investments is clearly demonstrated by our internet speed. According to SpeedTest Global Index data, which measures internet speeds worldwide, as of April 2024, Turkey ranked 113th out of 181 countries in fixed (ADSL or fiber) internet and 71st out of 144 countries in mobile internet. Congo is one spot ahead of us in fixed internet. Singapore is the world leader with 284.1 Mbps, and Turkey has only 15 percent of Singapore's internet speed."

"WE HAVE ONLY 13 PERCENT OF QATAR'S SPEED"

Emphasizing that while the digital economy relies on strong fiber infrastructure, Turkey is far behind even the average internet speed in the world, Ateş said, "As of April 2024, while the average global fixed internet speed was 93.7 Mbps, the internet speed in Turkey was less than half of this figure, at 41.5 Mbps. In mobile, while the global average was 52.9 Mbps, it was measured at 40.4 Mbps in Turkey. We have only 13 percent of the speed of Qatar, the leading country in mobile."

Noting that the average internet speed measured in metropolitan cities is not far ahead of the national averages, Ateş said, "In April, fixed internet speeds for Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir were 47.8 Mbps, 42.8 Mbps, and 41.2 Mbps, respectively; mobile internet speeds were 38.5 Mbps, 33.6 Mbps, and 37.9 Mbps."

Ateş further added, "It is also astonishing that Minister Uraloğlu announced that 78 percent of subscribers in fixed internet receive service at speeds of 16 Mbps and above. We have missed the chance to be a player in the digital age. Turkey has fallen into a digital divide both compared to the world and within itself; the inequality in access to and use of digital technologies is immense."

WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE FASTEST INTERNET IN THE WORLD? 

Singapore, a South Asian country, has the fastest average internet in the world according to the list released by Speedtest. Singapore tops the list with an average download speed of 192.17 Mbps for fixed internet. Chile, which ranks second, has an average fixed internet speed of 187.50 Mbps. In third place is another Asian country, Thailand. The average download speed for fixed internet is determined to be 175.93 Mbps. 

The top 10 countries with the fastest average fixed internet in the world: 

• Singapore (192.17 Mbps) 

• Chile (187.50 Mbps) 
• Thailand (175.93 Mbps) 
• Hong Kong (168.66 Mbps) 
• Monaco (165.47 Mbps) 
• Denmark (156.04 Mbps) 

• China (153.33 Mbps) 
• USA (136.53 Mbps) 
• Spain (130.86 Mbps) 
• Macau (126.42 Mbps) 

In mobile internet, the country with the highest average speed is the United Arab Emirates, which ranks first with an average mobile internet speed of 138.38 Mbps. In second place is Norway, a Scandinavian country. People living in Norway have an average mobile internet speed of 119.12 Mbps. South Korea is in third place on the list with an average mobile internet speed of 108.26 Mbps. 

News Source: 12punto