SALT LAKE CITY — When it comes to technology, internet speed is the new sexy.

All eyes are on who can be the fastest and who can get there first. Google made a splash when it started rolling out Google Fiber, which promises speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. Today, companies worldwide are clamoring to catch up — and overtake that once-lofty benchmark.

It’s easy to fall prey to the idea that the only speed worth having is the fastest one available. After all, that’s what all the internet service providers that want our money keep telling us. But all the technology, money, and brainpower being thrown behind internet speed begs the question: how fast do we really need to be?

To answer that head-scratcher, we have to examine internet speed in a global context.

How do speeds look globally?

The United States doesn’t even place in the top 10 when it comes to fast internet. According to reports from the first quarter of 2015, the U.S. comes in at number 20 overall, with peak speeds averaging 53 megabits per second. The average internet download speed in the U.S. is just over 11 Mbps.

The countries at the top include South Korea, Ireland, Hong Kong and Sweden. South Korea’s average peak speed tops out at nearly 80 Mbps, and Singapore maxes out at 98 Mbps. However impressive those peak speeds may be, the average speed in the fastest countries still hovers just under 20 Mbps, with South Korea leading the pack at 23 Mbps and the others averaging between 15 and 17 Mbps.

How have average speeds changed globally?

In the past five or so years, we’ve seen drastic changes in internet speeds across the globe. What started out as a slow burn has burst into a speed-hungry inferno that seems destined to change the norm.

Overall, the world’s average internet speed is 5 Mbps, matching the United States’ Federal Communications Commission’s 2010 definition of broadband Internet, which set the standard at 4 Mbps. This year, the FCC changed its benchmark for broadband classification to a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps.

That change reflects a global increase in average internet speeds, which increased by 10 percent in just one year, according to Akamai’s State of the Internet report. Japan had one of the largest increases overall, showing a 181 percent jump from the first quarter 2014 to the first quarter of 2015.

How are ISPs competing against one another to bring faster speeds?

With increased hunger for faster speeds comes increased competition to get there first. Google has blazed a trail, rolling out Google Fiber and offering speeds up to 1 Gbps in select U.S. cities. And since Google’s fiber rollout, other companies have jumped on the gigabit bandwagon. In fact, companies across the globe are unveiling plans to offer their own 1 Gbps options within the next year. In addition to major players, at least 18 percent of European broadband providers are working on gigabit plans.

The National Broadband Network promises to deliver speeds up to 100 Mbps to every home and business in Australia by 2020. The ambitious national project has been met with mixed reaction, and will rely on copper cabling rather than fiber.

Do I need that much speed?

Even though we all scramble for the newest phone, the coolest tablet, and the fastest internet, most of us don’t really need the exorbitant speeds being sought by the technophile masses. Just because speeds of 50 Mbps or more are available, it doesn’t mean they’re worth paying for.

It’s compelling to want the latest and greatest, but the truth is you only need an internet connection that’s fast enough to support the number of users and devices in your home. Promised speeds of 1 Gbps or more sound tempting, but for the average internet user, it’s often unnecessary.

What can we expect in the next year?

All this excitement doesn’t seem likely to simmer down in the near future. In fact, on several fronts it feels like it’s just getting started. Over the next year, the forefront of internet speed promises to be faster than ever.

In addition to expanding across the U.S. to 34 additional cities, Google Fiber also has plans to bring high speed internet to 100 train stations across India. If Google’s plan succeeds, its hotspots will deliver internet access to nearly 10 million riders every day.

Fast speeds appear to be the holy grail of internet connectivity, and the world’s major players have no intention of being left behind. Whether it’s through fiber, cable, or copper, most of the globe can expect to see continued increases in both accessibility and speed. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that if you usually only use about 20 Mbps on average, excessive speeds that reach or exceed 1 Gbps may just be a whole lot of unnecessary hoopla — and money.

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Sarah freelances and teaches speech and writing courses. You can find Sarah on Twitter @sarahzpike.