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US Broadband Policy Called "Magical Thinking"
eWeekPete writes "Is the pipe half full or half empty? Not surprisingly, the talk at the second annual Tech Policy Summit was decidedly mixed. 'The US is still the most dynamic broadband economy in the world,' said Ambassador Richard Russell, the associate director of the White House's Office on Science and Technology Policy. 'As opposed to being miles ahead, though, we're only a little ahead.' But Yale Law School's Susan Crawford called Russell's position 'magical thinking. We're not doing well at all.' She proceeded to call the White House's effort 'completely inadequate on broadband competition.'"
Monday through Thursday, Slashdot complains about the government interfering with our lives. On Friday, it demands more government intervention. The more power you give to government, the more it takes from you.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
It's called population density. The US has a density of 80 per sq mile. South Korea is at 1274 per square mile. Such a higher population density provides a much better return on infrastructure investments. This opens the competiveness of the broadband market, forcing prices down.
In the US it is nearly impossible for a new broadband player to enter the market due to the extensive infrastructure investments needed. In areas where Verizon FIOS and the cable companies compete, speeds have increased. Prices still haven't come down too far, but I bet in general that the cost of living in Korea is less than the US.