James M. Lindsay at CFR.org highlighted the chart above, which shows that although America invented the computer and the internet, it doesn't have nearly the "quickest, fastest, most-up-to-date download speeds in the world." The U.S. actually ranks 29th when compared to other advanced industrialized nations. As Jim says, "Not good."
 |
Post by: |
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help
We need a whole new fiber optic network put in place across the whole USA. We should be the fastest in the world. We invent everything which the whole world copies.
The reason for this is probably the absence of any effective regulation of broadband providers. Cable and telephone companies, if they are going to offer households internet service, should be classified as common carriers to promote competition amongst ISPs. Instead, cable companies have effectively established local monopolies and force citizens to pay relatively high prices for fairly slow internet service. Compared to other countries, notably France and South Korea, Americans actually pay an exorbitantly high price for internet service, in terms of speed per dollar. Considering that telecom companies are becoming one the highest bidders to Congress these days, this is just more proof that America is slowly becoming a mediocre, some might even say third world, country.
I don't think America could possibly be called third world in this facet. Given what an average person does these download speeds are sufficient which may be why the infrastructure has not been overhauled. Don't forget that the internet was invented and built here first. The infrastructure in itself is old even after replacing the old and slow equipment. The lines that were laid out before were the lossly copper cables. Newer countries that install it later on have access to better technology of a medium such as fiber optics. I agree that the cable companies are running a local monopoloy and its disgusting. America can create a vast number of industries through a better infrastructre which might explain why google itself wants to overhaul.
What I meant by third world was the fact that nearly 40% of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a very, very small number of individuals (I think it was something like 400) and that this wealth is what determines policy rather than the voice of the American people. The middle class has seen their wages stagnating for about the past decade while struggling to pay off their debt, while the people who argubaly got them into trouble are making off like bandits with record profits. Our Congressmen have decided that winning their elections are more important than viewing the bigger picture and coming up with real solutions to our problems. Does this not sound like something that happens in Tunisia, Uganda, or the Democratic Republic of Congo? What's going to happen when the rest of the world catches up and one day decides that there is no need to trade with America?
Paul Krugman accurately described this phenomenon by comparing it to the railroad industry of the 19th century in 2002 here: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/06/opinion/digital-robber-barons.html.
There is also a report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation highlighting some of the weaknesses in the US regulatory structure of broadband service here: http://archive.itif.org/index.php?id=142.
James2, thanks for sharing these links!