Debating Broadband Speeds in America: What Do the Numbers Say and Why Do They Matter?

The relative standing of high-speed communications networks in the United States is a subject of periodic debate. Various organizations rank countries' network speeds, and some find America's standing wanting. The debate typically unfolds from this point with some disputing the metrics used to develop rankings, others saying international comparisons really are not "apples to apples" across countries, while others say America's ranking is call for alarm and policy intervention. This debate between ITIF’s Robert Atkinson and the New America Foundation’s Sascha Meinrath examined what the speed numbers mean and how, if at all, policymakers should respond. In a statement after the debate Sascha Meinrath took to Twitter to say "I think I misspoke at the #sotn last week: Ookla had a methodology that dropped 30% of the slowest broadband speed tests, not @samknows."