Embracing broadband policy innovation from abroad

[Commentary] I’m often asked what lessons can be gleaned in the United States from the experiences of other top-tier global broadband Internet leaders. My response always begins by pointing out that a significant set of indigenous factors in the US, South Korea, Japan, the UK, and France contribute to, or deter, progress in individual top-tier countries, regardless of what affirmative steps are taken. A number of localized characteristics favor broadband development independent of concerted policy actions.

For example, geography and demographics can support or deter broadband development tasks depending on the nation’s size, population density, per capita income, percentage of high-rise housing, and household size. Consequently, the context of broadband Internet ecosystem development in a particular country often is unique to that country’s physical, economic, political, cultural, and social environment. Attempting to generalize from even the countries with the best policies is unlikely to yield meaningful policy outcomes. My study, unlike others, is careful not to develop global inferences that are based on a specific top-tier global broadband Internet leader’s particular circumstances. That said, during my research, I also discovered that there may be ways to stimulate broadband demand on a national scale, and that these models may indeed hold promise if they were to be initiated in the United States.