Pandemic Broadband Speeds Are Faster, but Insufficient for Some

Broadband speeds in the US have ticked up on average since March, easing fears of network disruptions as businesses widened the use of videoconferencing and other data-heavy tools during the pandemic. But even with the gains, many work-from-home employees continue to struggle with patchy internet connections, especially workers living in rural regions, employers say. As of July, average home internet speeds across the U.S. were running at 94.6 megabits per second, up from 84.9 megabits in March, according to a report by WhistleOut, a website that compares broadband and wireless plans. The results are based on an analysis of data from more than 700,000 internet speed tests nationwide, WhistleOut said. States that notched the biggest increases include Wyoming, Alaska and Kentucky, while declines were reported in Virginia, Hawaii, and Delaware. While most internet service providers were equipped to handle sharp upturns in traffic brought on by the pandemic, many home networks were far less prepared, said Bill McFarland, chief technology officer at smart-home services provider Plume Design. He said massive loads created by a combination of videoconferencing, home schooling, and online video streaming—sometimes all under the same roof—can cause congestion within home Wi-Fi networks and slow connections to a crawl.