Bermuda’s moving up in the world when it comes to broadband speed

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Bermuda CableVision’s new high-speed internet service has moved Bermuda up in the global broadband speed rankings.

Since CableVision launched its new 15 megabits per second (Mbps) and 25 Mbps internet service, average broadband speeds have gone up more than 53 percent.

According to global performance tracker Ookla (aka speedtest.net), in October 2011, Bermuda’s average connection speed was 4.4 Mbps. As of November 22, 2012, just 21 days after CableVision started offering its new high-speed service, Bermuda’s average download speed was up to 6.77 Mbps.

In September 2012, before the service launched, Bermuda ranked number 91 on the list of average download speeds worldwide. As of November 22, Bermuda stands at number 74.

Here are the rankings as of November 22 according to Ookla:

Global ranking Country Average internet Download Speed

74 Bermuda 6.77 Mbps

77 Greece 6.37 Mbps

80 Italy 5.58 Mbps

81 Gibraltar 5.53 Mbps

95 Puerto Rico 4.48 Mbps

102 Jamaica 4.04 Mbps

104 Cayman 4.02 Mbps

113 Bahamas 3.73 Mbps

Ookla measures broadband speeds around the world daily. As of yesterday afternoon, Bermuda’s average connection speed has gone up even further to 7.01 Mbps moving it up to number 67 in the rankings.

“We are happy to report that through our strategic efforts to bring advanced broadband service to our customers, Bermuda has now moved into a stronger global position for broadband speeds,” said Bermuda CableVision general manager, Terry Roberson.

“We recognise this is a team effort. Without the support of the ISPs — Transact, Logic and North Rock — this achievement would not be possible. We sincerely thank them for cooperating with us for the full, island-wide deployment of our new platform — DOCSIS 3.0.”

The average broadband speed is a crucial measure because it indicates true service levels between countries and what services can be accessed. At 4 Mbps, you can view a single standard-definition YouTube video; at 6 Mbps and above, high-definition streaming is now possible for the majority of Bermuda residents. This allows them to shift to more data intensive services for home and small business use.

“Our vision is simple: improve broadband in Bermuda by using our advanced network today,” said Jake Simons, chief technology officer of Bermuda CableVision. “With the deployment of DOCSIS 3.0, our network is ready to deliver 100+ Mbps service to homes now.

“We would like to deliver faster speeds to our customers, but we have to be granted regulatory approval to do so, and ISPs would have to be prepared to offer packages of 50 Mbps, 75 Mbps and 100 Mbps to support our current bandwidth capabilities. However, it is nice to note that when everyone is ready to move up, so is our fibre network.”

We will likely see Bermuda move up in the rankings further early next year. That’s because the Bermuda Telephone Company (BTC) is poised to launch its 15 Mbps and 25 Mbps service in the first quarter of 2013.

But while speeds in Bermuda may be increasing, the prices aren’t going down. Just last month, the Government’s own team of advisers on regulatory reform said internet service in Bermuda is “extremely expensive” when compared to average prices in the 50 wealthiest countries in the world.

While the average price for 4 Mbps broadband service in the 50 wealthiest countries in the world is $5.58 per Mbps, and the world average is $9.47 per Mbps, in Bermuda, the average cost is $33.74 per Mbps.

Unlike many other countries, in Bermuda, broadband access and internet services must, as a matter of law, be provided under separate licences (typically held by separate companies).

“This enforced separation of services that are typically provided by one company as a bundled service option is undoubtedly a contributing factor to the high broadband service prices observed in Bermuda,” the Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Ministry’s team of legal and economic advisers said as they addressed stakeholders in the Island’s $200-million annual revenue telecoms industry last month.

Prices should hopefully change next spring when Bermuda’s telecoms industry is opened up with the granting of the first Integrated Communications Operating Licences (ICOLs).

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