connectivity

Satellite-to-phone service explained: how direct-to-device links work, from LEO orbits and 3GPP NTN standards to link budgets, spectrum, capacity and limits.

The United Arab Emirates leads the world with a median fixed broadband download speed of 413.2 Mbps — more than four times the global average of roughly 90 Mbps. High urbanization rates, state-backed fiber rollout programs, and competitive telecoms markets are the common threads running through every country at the top of the Ookla Speedtest Global Index 2024.

China has 1.09 billion internet users — the largest national online population on Earth. India is close behind at 920 million, with the fastest growth. The US (315M), Indonesia (220M), and Brazil (190M) round out the top 5. By 2026, 5.5 billion people — 67% of humanity — are online. Here's the full ranking and what it means.

The Gulf states report about 100% internet use, and Denmark, Luxembourg, and Norway are above 99%. At the other end, several countries are below 20%. Here is the ranking, how it is measured, and what keeps 2.2 billion people offline.