How come different areas would have different internet speeds??

Question: How come different areas would have different internet speeds??
- Keywords:
  digital,
  internet,
  technology
Asked by freddo to Padraic on 2 Feb 2015.
- Padraic Morrissey answered on 2 Feb 2015:
  
  That’s a really good question! This has a lot to do with how far away you are from the main internet exchange in your area. The exchange is the point where all the optical and electrical cables get routed to and is like the centre of the internet in a particular place. If you are far from one of these exchanges, it takes longer for the electrical and optical signals to reach you, making the internet a little slower. The further away you are also means that the signals get a bit scrambled before they reach you. This means it takes longer to get the same message without any errors.

Question: How come different areas would have different internet speeds??