amount of bandwidth required by the average consumer increases as streaming video and  sharing user-generated content becomes commonplace. Speed, therefore, remains an important metric for consumers evaluating their broadband options and considering how they plan to use the Internet. In this section, we compare "speed leaders" and rank offerings in each city based on the fastest advertised Internet speeds found in our research. We chose basic Internet packages, without bundled services, unless the Internet service provider only offered bundled services. The offerings are ranked by download speeds,with higher upload speeds used to differentiate between plans that are tied. Advertised download speeds continue to be a major selling point for consumer Internet service and often are substantially higher than upload speeds. However, upload speeds are rising in importance as users create and share more content and data. Higher upload speeds allow for more effective use of online video conferencing and the transfer of files to cloud-based storage options. While more ISPs are offering symmetrical service, where the download and upload speeds are equal, most providers continue the standard practice of engineering their networks to maximize download speeds. Table 3. Wired Speed Leaders Rank City ISP Download Speed Upload Speed Price (USD/PPP) Network Technology Data Cap (GB) 1(t) Hong Kong 3 in HK 1000 1000 48.59 Fiber None 1(t) Chattanooga, TN EPB* 1000 1000 317.03 Fiber None** 3 Amsterdam KPN* 500 500 83.33 Fiber -- 4 Copenhagen ComX 250 250 126.78 Fiber None 5 Bristol, VA BVU 250 30 259.95 Fiber None