Think you have the slowest internet? You might be right. Iowa near the worst for speeds.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez, Des Moines Register
·4 min read

Everyone wants faster internet, but sadly Wi-Fi speeds do not have equal access across each state.

By analyzing the results of more than one million speed tests in all 50 states between Sept. 1, 2022 and Aug. 31, 2023 High Speed Internet compiled lists of the ten fastest and slowest states for internet speeds in 2023. It ranked Iowa has the eighth slowest internet in the U.S.

Here's what it came down to:

What's the average U.S. internet speed in 2023?

High Speed Internet says that internet speeds across the country get faster every year. According to its speed test data, this year's average nationwide internet speed is 44% faster than in 2022. This year, the average internet speed is 171.30 Mbps, last year it was 119.03 Mbps. In Iowa, the average speed is 138.48 Mbps.

But, it's worth noting that most Americans still buy modest internet speeds. America's median speed is only 90.96 Mbps. This is usually due to price and availability.

Which states have the fastest internet?

  1. Connecticut, 194.07 Mbps

  2. New Jersey, 202.20 Mbps

  3. Florida, 185.24 Mbps

  4. Delaware, 204.29 Mbps

  5. New Hampshire, 190.14 Mbps

Continuing from last year, states along the Eastern Seaboard lead in internet speed. Seven of the top 10 fastest states this year are located in New England or the New York tri-state area.

Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida and Delaware are some of the most densely populated states in the county, which High Speed Internet says vastly improves their chances of getting top-quality internet service. Internet providers tend to prioritize areas with a lot of customers, justifying the cost of expanding network access.

Which states have the slowest internet?

  1. Alaska, 112.39 Mbps

  2. West Virginia, 134.74 Mbps

  3. Montana, 103.67 Mbps

  4. Idaho, 113.21 Mbps

  5. New Mexico, 138.70

According to High Speed Internet, Alaska has the slowest average speed, but it's likely skewed higher due to fixed wireless and fiber availability in Anchorage, the state's biggest city.

The Federal Communications Commission pledged to increase access to affordable, high-speed internet options, with a goal of first boosting minimum speed standards and eventually providing 100% internet access nationwide.

Will fiber connections bring faster internet to Des Moines?

Des Moines residents want fast internet, but to get it they're having to put up with ongoing construction.

Google Fiber, Metronet and Lumen Technology, formerly CenturyLink, are installing fiber optic internet cables throughout Des Moines in projects that are moving at different speeds and in different locations.

They can't do the work simultaneously in a neighborhood because each company uses its own technology, and it would be unclear which would be liable if things went wrong on a shared construction site, City Engineer Steve Naber previously told the Register.

Fiber optic internet will bring faster connections to many areas. DSL internet speeds vary across the city, but some neighborhoods can get max download speeds as low as 3 mbps. Fiber optic connections could be as fast as 5,000 mbps and offer symmetrical download and upload speeds.

Will internet in Des Moines improve anytime soon?

Google Fiber started construction of its Des Moines network along Grand Avenue in October 2022. Phase 1 took the network from that trunk into the Waterbury, Westwood and Frisbie Park neighborhoods. The second phase is in the Woodland Heights, Ingersoll Park, North of Grand, Sherman Hill and Linden Heights neighborhoods. Phase three consists of the Cheatom Park, River Bend, Drake Park, Evelyn Davis Park, Carpenter, Mondamin Presidential, Chautaqua Park and New Visions neighborhoods. Phase four is an area from Interstate 235 to Hickman Road, centered on Drake University.

Google is also working on building out Google Fiber across West Des Moines.

Metronet plans to spread its network across most of Des Moines through 2023 and 2024. Pockets are complete on the north, south, west and east sides of the city. More are scheduled to be complete by the end of the year, according to the city. The company's goal is essentially to install fiber in front of every Des Moines home, Naber said.

Lumen plans to start construction of its network in 2024 in sections of the River Bend, Drake, Sherman Hill, King Irving, Woodland Heights, Chautauqua Park, Mondamin Presidential, Cheatom Park and Good Park neighborhoods. Its initial plan covers a much smaller area than Google Fiber and Metronet's.

Various providers are also working on projects across the suburbs.

Register reporter Philip Joens contributed to this article.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Fastest internet speeds? Where does Iowa rank