Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the speed at which consumers connect to the internet has increased the most where statewide broadband initiatives exist, according to WhistleOut, operator of a search engine that helps consumers find internet plans for their area.

The COVID-19 internet speeds report was based on 717,000 residential speed tests that compared the period mid-January to mid-March with the period mid-March to early July.

The five states that saw the biggest increases in internet speeds are Wyoming (52% increase), Alaska (40% increase), Kentucky (37% increase), Kansas (36% increase) and Missouri (31% increase).

Commentary in the press release pointed out that the top finishers’ results likely were the result of ongoing broadband programs. In Wyoming, for example, there is a statewide broadband deployment push from the Wyoming Broadband Council.

In Alaska, state-sponsored initiatives helped boost speeds and completion of what WhistleOut said is the only all on-land fiber Internet network in the state.

In Kentucky, the KentuckyWired initiative involves building out more than 3,000 miles of fiber to boost speeds in rural areas. And in Missouri, over $50 million has been earmarked for broadband upgrades.

On the other side of the ledger are states with the largest decreases in the speed at which consumers access the internet. This category is led by West Virginia (13% decrease), Hawaii (8% decrease), Delaware (8% decrease), Connecticut (6% decrease) and Washington, DC (2% decrease). In all, only eight states experienced decreases in broadband speeds.

WhistleOut suggests that the decrease in three states — West Virginia, Connecticut and Delaware — may be due to pre-existing connectivity issues that are being exacerbated by the stress of the increased traffic brought on by remote learning, work from home and increased use of broadband for entertainment.

The study also provided insights into the country as a whole. It found that during the pandemic speed increased on average by 9.7 Mbps (from 84.9 Mbps to 94.6 Mbps). This may be due, in part, to subscribers upgrading their plans and an increase in overall broadband speeds made available by service providers.