No broadband? No problem

Is broadband Internet penetration supposed to be 100%? Federal regulators seem to think so, and many people who probably have no problem getting broadband would probably agree. Maybe there is a prevailing sense of guilt among the haves for not being a have-not. In any case, those in favor of having absolutely everyone plug into broadband and having the federal government help make that happen no doubt will take the news that broadband growth is slowing -- reported last week by the Pew research Center -- as further support for their arguments. The number of Americans who use broadband rose only 3% within the last year to about 66%, and some might say that's because those that need and want broadband can't get it.

But aren't there at least two other viable alternative explanations for slowing growth?

1.) A difficult economy kept many people from signing up for broadband service and may have forced others who lost jobs or saw income dwindle to actually cancel broadband service. This is a temporary condition.

2.) Maybe broadband in the U.S. is approaching its own saturation point, one that isn't 100% but closer to 80% and about as good as it will ever get.