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"Super fast" is super slow
Submitted by acohill on Tue, 11/29/2005 - 08:09.
This article on Verizon's "super fast" DSL and fiber services is "super" misleading. It makes it sound like Verizon is rolling out some state of the art new service that is much better than anything else available.
Unfortunately, the reporter who wrote this article apparently failed to do even a nominal search for what kind of "super fast" service is available in other countries, where "super fast" 7 megabit service (what Verizon is offering) is would be considered "super slow."
In Japan, 100 megabit fiber service is considered the lowest acceptable consumer service. While DSL is in wide use there, it is considered inferior--and "super fast" DSL in Japan often hits speeds of 22 megabits. Twenty-two megabits--way faster than Verizon's "super fast" DSL, and the Japanese think it is way too slow.
How did we get into this mess? The U.S. invented the Internet, space travel, the Swiffer, and thousands of other high tech systems, but somehow, with broadband, we have sunk to the point that 15 other countries have better, faster service, and that's okay with our legislators and vendors.
The only way out, in my opinion, is action at the local/regional level. We are not going to change lazy and/or disinterested state and Federal legislators who are happy to let things drift along, or worse, put roadblocks in the way of communities trying to compete in the global economy.
The economies of scale
Most of the countries that have big pipes to the home have high density population in a geographically small area making it more feasible to cover everyone. Additionally, don't the governments have high tax rates that pay for that infrastructure? May not be something our country is willing to pay for. Though I personally think that's a mistake.
Population density and broadband
You are entirely correct that population density has something to do with it, but if that were the dominant factor, places like Manhattan and downtown Chicago would have lots of fiber to the premise. But they don't.
Another factor is country size. The U.S. has many states that are bigger than countries like Norway, Japan, and Ireland. One of the obstacles we have is basically an extra layer of government (the state) that many other countries do not have. It makes it much easier to formulate a national policy.
The U.S. has some disadvantages compared to other countries (with respect to broadband deployment). But that means we have to work harder than we are. I don't think we can just sit back and say, "Well, 16th in the world is okay, even though it puts all our businesses at a disadvantage." We have to formulate and follow through on policies that make sense in the context of the U.S. political system. And I don't see that happening in any thoughtful way.