( CNN ) -- Land of the free . Home of the brave . Bastion of mediocre Internet speeds . Already getting clobbered by countries like South Korea and Japan , the United States is close to falling out of the top 10 nations in terms of Internet-connection speeds , according to a new report . The United States fell from 8th to 9th after being passed by Sweden in the first quarter of this year , according to networking firm Akamai 's quarterly State of the Internet report . Akamai handles about one-third of the world 's Web traffic . The other countries with quicker Web connections than the United States ? Hong Kong , Switzerland , Netherlands , Latvia and the Czech Republic . Why Internet connections are fastest in South Korea . The slip comes despite average U.S. speeds going up 27 % from the same time last year , according to Akamai . In some ways , the United States is at a disadvantage when it comes to fast connections . Its sprawling size and hefty population can make building efficient broadband networks a challenge . But critics argue that a relative lack of competition among service providers also hurts . Susan Crawford , a tech policy analyst and professor at Cardozo Law School in New York City , argues that Internet access should be a public utility like gas , electricity and water because it has become just as essential . In her book , `` Captive Audience : The Telecom Industry and Monopoly in the New Guilded Age , '' she says a lack of regulation in the Unites States has allowed a small number of companies to dominate the broadband market , meaning consumers have fewer choices and pay higher prices . `` In Seoul , when you move into an apartment , you have a choice of three or four providers selling you symmetric fiber access for $ 30 per month , and installation happens in one day , '' Crawford told TIME earlier this year . `` That 's unthinkable in the United States . And the idea that the country that invented the Internet ca n't get online is beyond my imagination . '' Akamai reported that the average Web connection in the United States was 8.6 megabits per second . South Korea 's average was 14.2 megabits per second . Of course , some folks in the United States have it better than others . In some regions of the country , residents still do n't even have basic connections to high-speed Internet . But if you live or work in Vermont , you 're in pretty good shape . Average speeds there are 12.7 megabits per second -- meaning connections in the Green Mountain State are , on average , faster than Japan 's . Looking for speedy Internet elsewhere in the U.S. ? New Hampshire , Delaware , the District of Columbia and Utah round out the top five spots .
Report says United States has 9th - fastest Internet connection in the world . That 's down from 8th last year , as the U.S. is surpassed by Sweden . Geography , population , economy are similar . South Korea has fastest connections , 60 % quicker than United States .