When It Comes To Broadband, U.S. Plays Follow The Leader

WHEN IT COMES TO BROADBAND, US PLAYS FOLLOW THE LEADER
[SOURCE: InformationWeek, AUTHOR: Richard Hoffman]
Broadband access in the United States continues to grow at an impressive rate, from 60 million users in March 2005 to 84 million in March 2006, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. As-yet unpublished survey data gathered by Pew in December 2006 shows that 45% of respondents now report broadband access at home. The United States may be a technology leader, but it isn't a broadband leader, in relative coverage and use of broadband, in speed and capability of the services that are widely available, or in price. Broadband infrastructure in the United States, while healthy by some measures, is marked with surprisingly little competition in some key critical areas, and in others, such as wireless communication and data services, a patchwork of incompatible technologies has led to inconsistent and often substandard regional service, duplication of effort, and waste of resources -- exactly the problems that telephone regulation in the 20th century was designed to address. It's clear that broadband access isn't just a faster and more convenient way to view Web pages and download songs or e-mail. Many applications in use now, such as videoconferencing, IP telephony, and video-on-demand, and many more which are still over the horizon, are dependent on broadband access. Many nations have recognized that widespread broadband access is a critical strategic asset, pumping billions of dollars into their economies and enabling entirely new kinds of business models and economic opportunities. Those nations able to craft genuinely forward-looking telecommunications policies that promote universal access as well as enhancing competition, and which can balance short-term market forces against long-term national priorities, will reap the current and future benefits of increased economic productivity. They will be the true trailblazers, and the first to see and make use of the rich possibilities which lie ahead. It remains to be seen whether the United States will regain the initiative, and be among those leaders.
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