Iceland Tops the Broadband Penetration List

Iceland now leads the world in broadband penetration, with 26.7 percent of those accessing the Internet in the country via a high-speed connection, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Iceland edged out long-time leader Korea (25.4 percent), as well as the Netherlands and Denmark, all of whom now claim greater than 25 percent broadband penetration. The U.S. ranked twelfth, with 16.8 percent, just behind Japan (17.6 percent).

Overall, the OECD reports that the number of broadband subscriptions among its 30 member countries grew from 136 million in June 2005 to 158 million by December 2005. The U.S. has the largest total number of broadband subscribers in the OECD, with 49 million, accounting for 31 percent of all OECD broadband connections.

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