Japanese internet users are getting used to what is being touted as the fastest internet connection in the world, capable of speeds of 160Mbps.
The size of the gulf in broadband speeds across the globe has been highlighted by news that an American-operated Japanese company is offering broadband speeds of 160Mbps.
According to a report in the New York Times, J:Com had to invest $20 (£13.50) per home to upgrade the service to 160Gbps. The modem needed to receive the speeds costs roughly $60 (£40), while it costs the same price per month to receive the connection.
By contrast, the fastest broadband speeds available in the UK are around the 50Mbps mark, with Virgin charging £35 a month for the service. The company have announced plans to bring out a 100Mbps and 150Mbps service next year, however.
But South Korean internet users already enjoy an average speed of 100Mbps, while closer to home a number of Scandinavian countries have a superior service to the UK.
The government has attempted to remedy the situation and boost the UK's online presence through a number of measures laid out in the communication minister's Digital Britain report. One of the main goals of the study is to identify how to provide universal broadband for the whole country - something some other nations currently take for granted.
