Sweden: A Model for the Broadband Future?

Sweden's telecoms regulator recently issued a report detailing how openness in broadband infrastructure affects competition. Sweden is a leader in broadband penetration, has some of the lowest average monthly high-speed Internet costs, and is boosting its fiber penetration. Access to dark fiber is a key roadblock to openness and thus, innovation, the report found, and suggests that the government take a complementary role in promoting a fiber infrastructure. It also suggests that the lock-in periods and high fees for terminating a broadband contract slow innovation because unhappy consumers can't "vote with their feet." The final roadblock is a lack of spectrum for mobile broadband access.