Slashdot Mirror
US Cell Phone Plans Among World's Most Expensive
Albanach writes "An OECD report published today has shown moderate cell phone users in the United States are paying some of the highest rates in the world . Average US plans cost $52.99 per month compared to an average of $10.95 in Finland. The full report is available only to subscribers, however Excel sheets of the raw data are available to download." (You'll find those Excel sheets — which open just fine in OpenOffice — on the summary page linked above.)
Unfortunately, it looks like we have a real chance of switching to just such coverage here in the US too. Yep, we'll get that extra 20+% taxation (I even hear they're bandying about a VAT tax here too, to go with the current income tax)...and yet, those prices the companies charge that you mentioned...will still exist and not come down. It will go to some profit, and I'm guessing overhead for more govt. paperwork and oversight.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
A big problem in Pharma is that only the US is paying for R&D costs
Firstly, big Pharma in the USA spends more money on wining & dining physicians to get them to prescribe the new expensive drugs than is spent on R&D.
Secondly, big Pharma companies are international, so when GlaxoSmithKline develops a drug in USA, eventually that drug is marketed around the world; and when GSK develops a drug in Europe, eventually that drug is marketed ... around the world. GSK is spending the R&D money. The difference is where the R&D money is spent; i.e. the USA is getting the benefit of the R&D money being spent in USA.