Netflix is the new entrant to the list of things (life expectancy, general happiness and soccer) that the rest of the world does in a better way than the U.S., says Quartz. The U.S. firm recently updated and redesigned its monthly speed index, in which it ranks Netflix speeds by internet provider.
Netflix now ranks speeds by country
Netflix has spread to more than 50 countries, and as a part of its global expansion strategy for increasing revenues and the number of subscribers, it will soon spread into hundreds of more countries. Therefore, the index is now being ranked by country as well.
Netflix accounts for a whopping 37% of peak web traffic in the U.S. and Canada, but when it comes to speed, both countries fall somewhere in the middle of the pack. Scandinavian countries dominate the rankings. Belgium leads the list with an average speed of 4.15 Mbps, while the U.S. is at a distant fifteenth position with 3.26 Mbps. Canada is one notch better than the U.S.
The index measures Netflix’s performance during prime viewing hours. A higher ranking for a country indicates a better Netflix viewing experience compared to the countries that have secured lower ranks. Viewers residing in countries that have higher Mbps (megabits per second) are likely to have more reliable connections, minimum buffering and a clearer picture.
Asia and Africa hold massive potential
Netflix is expanding into more and more countries at a very impressive pace. The service recently launched in Japan and is scheduled for launch in Spain, Italy and Portugal in October. Early next year, it will also be available in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The U.S. firm is targeting 200 countries by the end of 2016. Its a lofty goal for sure, but with the way the company is progressing, it seems possible.
Asia and Africa present vast opportunities for Netflix, and most likely it will focus on these two regions for reaching its goal. The U.S. firm was officially absent from Asia until it launched its services in Japan recently, but it is still to make a presence in Africa. Netflix is expected to announce some more target countries before the year ends, and there are good chances that South Africa will be on that list.
