Study: US Broadband Performance Less-than-the-Best
Open access policies have helped leading economies around the world develop competitive broadband markets by lowering entry barriers, according to a study for the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
But reluctance to force telecoms and cable operators to open their networks to competitors has led to the U.S. being overtaken in rankings of broadband penetration and affordability.
The researchers – read an interview with the primary author here – confirmed previous studies that put the U.S. somewhere in the middle fifth of all countries when it comes to broadband penetration, usage, available speeds, and pricing of Internet connectivity.
Although the FCC is not bound by the study, its publication has been seen as a sign of possible changes under the new chair Julius Genachowski.
The Berkman Center and the FCC invite everyone to read the draft and participate in the public comment process. For the full public notice, with directions on how to comment, go here.
Source: Reuters, FT, Macworld, Berkman Center for Internet & Society
