Heat Map: Top 10 cities with high broadband adoptation rate

HK only came in third.

After a slight decline in the second quarter, the global high broadband adoption rate grew by 8.8% in the third quarter, reaching 11%, Akamaai reports.

Quarterly increases were also seen in all of the top 10 countries, ranging from just 2.0% in Latvia (to 26% adoption) to a surprisingly large 41% jump in Sweden (to 16% adoption).

On a global basis, 42 of 45 countries/regions that qualified for inclusion saw high broadband adoption rates grow on a quarterly basis, ranging from a meager 0.8% increase in Italy (to 2.7% adoption) to an extremely impressive 90% jump in South Africa (to 2.0%).

Only Singapore, Romania, and Australia declined quarter-over-quarter, losing 3.2%, 11%, and 13% respectively. Overall, China remained the country with the lowest level of high broadband adoption, growing 27% to 0.2%.
Looking at year-over-year changes, the global high broadband adoption rate once again saw a very solid increase, growing 22% from the third quarter of 2011. Among the top 10 countries, six countries also grew high broadband adoption rates year-over-year, with growth as high as 73% seen in both the United States (to 18% adoption) and Finland (to 16% adoption).

The lowest yearly increase among the top 10 was seen in the Netherlands, which added only 1.1% (to 22% adoption).

Year-over-year declines were seen in South Korea (down 5.8% to 52% adoption), Hong Kong (down 13% to 27% adoption), and Latvia (down 3.0%). Globally, 32 qualifying countries saw high broadband adoption levels increase year-over year. Growth of more than 100% was seen in Poland (108%), Spain (111%), and the United Kingdom (145%), while a massive 467% increase was seen in South Africa.

Yearly declines were seen in 13 qualifying countries/regions, ranging from a 0.5% decline in Slovakia (to 7.6% adoption) to a 30% in the United Arab Emirates (to 9.7% adoption).