Researchers from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and the University of Oviedo have compared the quality of broadband connections experienced by consumers in 42 countries to identify factors underpinning their successful adoption.

The Cisco-sponsored research contends that next-generation web applications, vital to the development of economic growth, will rely on much higher levels of performance in terms of download and upload throughput and latency. Only Japan currently exceeds the quality threshold required by 2011-2013, with Sweden and The Netherlands the best European performers.

Over half of the 42 countries in Europe, North America, the rest of OECD and Brazil, Russia, India and China, enjoyed connections at the level of performance required to deliver a consistent quality experience for most of today’s common web applications. Some major countries such as the UK, Spain and Italy fall, on average, just below this threshold.

The driving factors behind higher quality broadband connections are, unsurprisingly, increased investments in fibre and cable network upgrades, coupled with diversity of competition and delivery options. However, it is strong government vision and policy that best characterizes the ‘broadband quality’ leaders, feels Fernando Gil de Bernabé, MD at Cisco’s Internet Business Solutions Group.

The study, researchers believe, serves to highlight the importance of new policy objectives and shifting priorities for governments, service providers and other broadband stakeholders if they are to meet the challenge of the step change in quality requirements anticipated within the next 3-5 years.