It is impossible to eliminate the internet in today’s connected world. It’s comforting to put our phones down for an hour or even a few days every now and again, but turning them off totally is not an option. We depend on the internet to work in a variety of ways, including making phone calls, checking texts, and updating our social media accounts.
Gone are the times when ‘being absent from the country’ on vacation was a sufficient reason to terminate communication links. However, as the phrase “worldwide web” implies, the entire globe is now connected to the internet, so you can no longer afford to “disconnect.” But is this, however, correct? Are there any secluded beaches in Thailand that have internet access?
Yes and no, respectively. There will always be a way to connect to the internet no matter where you are on the planet. We have individuals like Mark Zuckerberg talking about the “Internet of Things,” our “digital connection,” and the billion or more Facebookers to persuade us of this, but the “connected world” scenario may not be as idyllic as it looks.
Sure, in distant Thailand, you could travel to the next city or town to remedy your problem via an “internet café,” but the more pressing worry is internet speed.
Slower internet speeds are just a nuisance for tourists and other travelling business people for a few days. I should know, having been a victim of this situation several times. Countries where the internet is tightly monitored, such as Cuba, exacerbate such issues.
These countries not only interrupt your personal space, but it may also be difficult to execute routine activities. It may feel good to be free of the digital tether, but when business is involved, it is never a pleasant idea.
In fact, when you bring in work, the issue becomes a hindrance. This is especially true if you are a web developer working from home. As a digital nomad, your main source of income is your computer and the internet. As a result, while deciding to migrate to a nation, digital nomads should consider the nation’s internet availability.
If you’re having difficulties visualising “slow” internet speeds, consider dial-up and broadband internet. This is not only very unpleasant to connect to the internet, but it was also excruciatingly aggravating to be disconnected every time a phone call came through. Add to that the frequent power outages; in many parts of the globe, electricity goes out every other hour, causing you to lose any saved activity.
You may be unable to see certain websites, such as Linkedin, YouTube, or even Gmail, due to slower speeds.
A trend emerges while assembling this list of countries with slow speeds. The majority of the slowest countries are concentrated in Africa and South America, with average speeds as low as 4 Mbps. There are many nations in Asia that appear to have thriving economies yet suffer from slow internet connections, such as India, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Here is a list of the top five countries with the slowest internet connections on the planet:
(5) EGYPT
The average internet speed for each of the countries on the list is 2 Mbps or below. Egypt tops the list with average internet speeds of 2.2 Mbps, that is over 13 Mbps faster than Kenya’s best internet speed of 15 Mbps. Do check your internet speed here on speedtest.
To be fair, there are several other Asian nations with speeds as low as 2 Mbps, including India and Bangladesh, but these nations are working hard to enhance their broadband access. Meanwhile, Egypt is disintegrating as a result of the country’s current state of disarray.
This is a terrible conclusion for a country with a tech-savvy citizenry. A slew of companies have sprung up in the country in recent years, but the community is suffering as a result of the slow internet.
This ambitious new city hoped to become the Middle East’s next commercial powerhouse, but with countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and even Libya boasting faster connections, its chances are bleak.
(4) GABON
Because of the numerous disruptions in internet access over the last year, this Central African nation has made its way onto lists. Gabon held elections last year, and the government closed down the internet owing to increasing tensions in the country.
Citizens now believe that internet shutdowns are “early warning mechanisms of violations of human rights,” and that Gabon is on the verge of a disaster.
If the government continues to have slow internet speeds and disrupted connections at 1.9 Mbps, it is advised to avoid it as a digital nomad.
(3) YEMEN
Yemen seems to be the only Middle-Eastern country with the lowest internet speed as of Q4 2016. In reality, it has the world’s slowest internet speed of 1.3 Mbps. The rich-poor split in this country is a well-documented issue, and the country’s corruption has recently made headlines.
The previous administration ignored the demands of the people, markdowns them and causing many issues for them as a result. The country’s internet connectivity is overseen by the state-run telecommunications company, which helps to explain why the country has poor connectivity.
The telecom industry’s obsolete technology was built in the 1970s and was not built for data transfer. Currently, the government lacks the resources to upgrade or maintain its antiquated technology, which is why internet access in Yemen is highly expensive, requiring Yemenis to pay a premium price for digital connection.
(2) VENEZUELA
Yemen has the slowest speed at 1.3 Mbps, although Venezuela is not far behind at 1.6 Mbps. It is listed higher on the list because this South American country has been declining on the list for many years with little to no prospects of change. In truth, the Venezuelan government intentionally maintains poor internet speeds in order to minimize expenditures and the government’s spending budgets.
Venezuela has the greatest internet usage, and poor internet is damaging the country, driving a significant outflow of unhappy Venezuelans. It boasts the world’s slowest broadband page load speed, with websites taking an average of 6.7 seconds to load—nearly five times as long as Israel.
- PARAGUAY
When it comes to slow internet connections, there isn’t much that separates Paraguay from Venezuela. While Paraguay is a popular second residence location, it suffers from the same internet issues. Poor infrastructure and widespread corruption are among the issues.
However, the major reason this country is at the top of the list (and better placed than Yemen) is owing to its dismal performance in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Every quarter, nations are examined for improvements in internet speeds, and Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Mexico all suffered declines in speeds.
Paraguay had a double-digit contraction, with the economy shrinking by up to 16 per cent. It was the most significant drop in the South American area.
In reality, Paraguay’s average connection speed has decreased by 10% year over year, while all other countries in the Americas have increased. Brazil experienced one of the biggest improvements in the Americas, at almost 55%. The expense of internet in the country is likewise exceedingly high, ranking with Bolivia as one of the highest in the world.
Many nations that were at the bottom of the list have worked to increase their speeds, such as Nigeria, which increased its average Mbps speeds by 130 per cent to move out of the bottom.
