When most people think of fast, affordable European internet backed by a strong infrastructure, their mind usually goes to countries like Holland, Sweden, or even Scandinavian countries like Denmark – and rightfully so. However, most tend to forget, or are unaware of, the stable growing digital infrastructure found in Lithuania.
FIBER-OPTIC LEADER
With a population of 2.91 million, you wouldn’t expect Lithuania, a former Soviet bloc located in the deep southernmost region of the Baltic states, to have one of the highest fiber-optic network penetration rates (FTTH) in the world, but they do.
In fact, for seven consecutive years Lithuania has held the crown for having the highest fiber-optic penetration rate in Europe. Globally, Lithuania has the eighth highest penetration rate, standing at 36.8% as of September 2016, which is seven places behind number one ranked United Arab Emirates, who has an astounding penetration rate of 93.7%.
While having largely a state funded digital infrastructure, Lithuania’s wide fiber-optic network deployment has been largely fueled by active competition domestically in addition to super low prices. Investments, both locally and foreign, have allowed over two thirds of the Lithuanian population to have high-speed internet access in their homes. As a result, Lithuania has become a highly competitive player in the world of business.
The country has also been on the receiving end of capital foreign investments. Due to the technological advancements made in Lithuania, some hosting companies can offer their VPS services at only $2 per month. Between those excellent penetration rates and the incredibly affordable prices, it’s no wonder that so many providers have decided to open facilities in Lithuania.
SPEED, SPEED, AND MORE SPEED
By now it should of no surprise that little Lithuania has some of the fastest internet speeds in the world. To make things quick, here’s what you need to know Lithuanian internet and its lightning-fast connection speeds:
– The country’s TLD: .LT
– A June 2013 study conducted by Ookla Net Metrics found that Lithuania has the second fastest internet download speed and single fastest internet upload speed in the world.
– As of 2013, two ISP’s delivered up to 300 Mbps download speeds as part of their standard home user package.
– In 2014 the fastest internet speed, offered by SkyNet, provided maximum connection speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
– In 2015 Lithuania ranked 4th in the EU and 9th in the world for their average connection rate of 45.11 Mbps.
– Thanks to freedom of speech and press amendments within the Lithuanian constitution, the country is free of government restrictions or censorship.
Even with all this said, as a digital powerhouse, Lithuania will continue to grow and expand its digital capabilities. So what does this mean for web hosting? Cheap hosting prices for both hosting companies and clients, as well as fast connections with limited latency. When reading the following list of the best Lithuanian VPS providers, keep in mind that the country’s hosting industry still has much room to grow.
