Press Release

Vermont has the worst internet quality for remote working

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New research has revealed which US states have the worst internet for remote working, with Vermont ranking bottom, behind West Virginia and Maine.

The U.S. Census Bureau revealed that between 2019 and 2021, the number of people primarily working from home tripled from 5.7% (roughly 9 million people) to 17.9%. As of 2022, 91 million Americans have been offered the option to work remotely either full or part-time. 

Working from home brings a multitude of benefits. But in order for people to work from home efficiently, they need to be fully connected to colleagues, clients and customers at all times. So for remote workers and those who employ them, internet access couldn’t be more important. 

To uncover which state US workers have the best internet, premium Texas-based hosting company Oplink.net looked into a number of factors relating to internet usage, including the percentage of people working from home, average internet speed (megabits per second, Mbps), cost of internet by state (per megabit, Mb) and the amount of people who searched ‘slow internet’ since January 2020. They then scored each of these factors individually, coming up with an overall score out of 100. 

Taking into all the factors and the overall score, Vermont has the worst internet for remote workers with a score of 4.24. Currently only 19.50% of people in the state work from home, which is among the lowest in the country. Although the cost of the internet is low and the average download speed is high, Vermont has the highest search volume for ‘slow internet’ in the US (second only to Idaho).

The research shows New York has the best internet for remote workers, with an overall score of 100.69. In terms of download speed, the Empire State is 15th out of a possible 48, however a combination of low cost ($1.72 per Mb), low volume of ‘slow internet’ searches and high percentage of people (51.60%) currently working remotely means it topped our list, beating North Dakota by two points. 

Based on Oplink.net’s research the five best states for remote working were: 

1. New York

2. North Dakota

3. Virginia

4. Wyoming

5. Nebraska

The five worst states for remote working were: 

1. Vermont

2. West Virginia

3. Maine

4. Idaho

5. Wisconsin

Dan Newman, President of Oplink.net says: “Remote working is now something that is essential in the modern workforce, so having good and reliable internet is extremely important and we were eager to see where in the US is the best place to do this. 

“New York state has a lot of working professionals, so it’s good to see that the internet quality and connection reflects this. Vermont scored poorly in the research however wherever you are in the country it is essential to do some research and find the best options when it comes choosing an internet service provider.”

Categories: Press Release

6 replies »

  1. Give Elon a call and subscribe to Starlink, problem solved……….

    • Not so fast sebastianam, we’ve looked. Its up to 599. for equipment and then 110 a month for the service. The review we looked at that specifically used Vermont as their test location stated spotty coverage, dropped/intermittent loss of connections, low speeds compared to what is advertised, reduction in bandwidth during heavy downpours and difficulty getting an unobstructed view (yes, depends on location) Sure, it would be better than the tier 3 DSL we have through Consolidated, but with the issues reported in the review, and the fact that our DSL is up 5 nines, doesn’t seem worth the price tag.

  2. Part of the issue with living In this nirvana of VT off the grid is that you are actually off the the grid. As I tell my kids life is full of choices don’t expect someone else to make the correct choice for you or to carry you to that choice.

  4. …wifi/cell towers vs ethernet cable dowloads speeds and security (i.e. hackability)…one is super fast and secure — the other is slow as molasses, unreliable, and hackable — anyone with the capabilities can hack into wifi (including your businesses and phones)…

    Salesmanship.

    And of course, we all moved to Vermont for the internet connection…

  5. Just because it is declared that broadband internet access is “essential”, does not mean that it needs to be added to the ever-broadening list of “human rights”, and is to be provided at taxpayer expense. Some people may consider being close to a walmart to be “essential”, but that is another service or product that is part of the choice someone makes when they choose where to live. Internet access has traditionally been provided through the private sector, and most all private businesses are hassled, intimidated and moderated by Vermont state government, so that is where the faulty lies. The reputation for Vermont being a difficult place to do business is well established. I blame Montpelier.