If you’re sick and tired of the current US political climate and thinking of moving to sunnier pastures, it’s not the worst idea. A few years away could do the mind some good. However, you don’t have to live like a peasant while you wait for things to blow over at home. There are several places that are both pleasant to live in AND have faster average internet speeds than the USA. Just because you’re seeking refuge doesn’t mean it’s not important to keep track of the turmoil and stay in touch with your friends and family here. We here at iFixYouri looked for countries with high average internet speeds that were interesting, politically stable, and, well…are places that we’d personally like to live in. We don’t have locations in these countries (yet) but if you have a device issue while abroad, get in touch with us and we’ll see if we can help.
HONG KONG
This d
ensely-populated territory has been one of the most intriguing places in the modern world for quite some time. Formerly a British colony on the coast of China, since 1997 it’s existed somewhere in-between. Quality of life is rather high, and although there’s been dissatisfaction with the government in recent years, there’s been no history of violent action or major instability. English and Chinese are spoken interchangeably, and Hong Kong enjoys the world’s longest life expectancy, extremely well-developed public transport, and average internet speeds of 16.8 Mb/s. Some providers offer 100 Mb/s service with no data cap for around $13 per month.
SOUTH KOREA
It’s no surprise that the Seoul, home of Samsung and LG, is an absolutely enormous tech center. South Korea has the highest average internet speed in the world (26.7 Mb/s) and one of the highest peak speeds of 95.3 Mb/s. Additionally, it also ranks pretty high in personal safety, education, job security, ease of doing business, and healthcare. The entire country has high-speed internet hookup and 97% of the population owns a smartphone. If you’re looking for ideal The City of The Future™, you wouldn’t have to look too far past Seoul…crazy, homicidal neighbor included.
THE NETHERLANDS
The Nethe
rlands is easily one of the most liberal countries in the world. Same-sex marriage, soft drugs, abortion, euthanasia, and prostitution are all legal (and have been for some time), the healthcare system is one of the best and cheapest in the European Union, and a lot of people speak English. Everyone bikes everywhere. There are open-air markets every few blocks. It’s produced Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, Johan Cruyff, and Heineken beer. What’s not to love about the country? Oh, yes, fast internet, too: 17 Mb/s on average.
SWEDEN
Our founder, Chris Johncke, implored us to add his homeland of Sweden to the list, and we’re sorry for overlooking it. Second only to South Korea, Sweden boasts an impressive 19.1 Mb/s average in the cities. Cost-of-living is comparable to the US, while average apartment rental is significantly less. The Nordic model of social democracy ensures that the Swedes are among the happiest in the world, thanks to free education and universal healthcare. Yes, it’s true that there’s only a few hours of sunlight per day in the winter, but with affordable optical-fiber internet plans starting at 110 Mb/s, staying inside isn’t the worst option.
