Comparing relatively urban cultures such as Japan and Korea to the US is rather unfair as the US contains much more open space and geographic hurtles that do not exist as much in Europe and Asia (such as 40 miles between towns of only 200 people). Additionally, broadband has its limitations over the geography of the US.

Not always No. 1, big deal.

Let's ignore the fact that America is a large land mass. Such comments about "Japan" or "Korea" as a model are just unrealistic. Sweden and the Netherlands have small populations.

We're fine. Broadband is NOT a necessity of life, and neither is the Internet. Considering half of US households have broadband, we're fine. Why do they have it? Because they asked for it and broadband deliverers expanded infrastructure. Hell, any place that has access to cable television can get broadband if they CHOOSE.

What we do NOT need is more government meddling. They've done enough already.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR A LARGE BROADBAND INFRASTRACTURE. Internet works just fine pretty much everywhere in the U.S.

HOWEVER, THERE IS A HUGE NEED FOR A SMALLER, LESS EXPENSIVE, WISER, AND SWIFTER GOVERNMENT WITH A LARGER BROADBAND FOR COMMUNICATION WITH VOTERS.

Stevie,

You hit the nail on the head.

Also, I have relatives in Japan who are upper middle class, and STILL can't afford internet service there. Japan & Korea are catering to business, not the people.

Imagine if back in the day we would have had the same reluctance to build the interstate highway system.  It was a huge undertaking, that people probably said was not necessary.  But now we North Carolinians love our cheap California tomatos.  Just a thought.

I don't think comparing this to the interstate isn’t correct.  The private sector is quite capable of building out the broadband as demand for it shows itself, unlike the interstate where there is more of a need for the government support.  I personally limit my DSL to 1.5 Mbps because that is all I need and I don’t want to pay for the 6.0 Mbps DSL, and I could get even faster from cable, but again at a price.  No one said that the speeds in the other countries have come at a lower price.  You will also note that in much of the rest of the world they are using smart phones instead of computers, because their lack of good landline infrastructure that the US has.

Chris, your cheap California tomatoes are probably flown in to Raleigh and distributed locally...

American Internet speeds are slow, very slow, by international standards

How about some numbers? How slow? What is international standard?

According to speedtest...the US's top download speeds are 6.80 MB/Second, upload 1.51 MB/S

                                                Japan 15.91mb/s download and 7.05 mb/s upload speeds

                                               South Korea has 20.91 download speeds!

Our , US, download speeds are lower than Japan's upload speeds.

Remember...wanting science is one of those intellectual elite things George warned us against!

Intellect is Baaaad!  Remember him saying so??

Ps there is hardly ANY cable systems in Japan!  That is our nemisis in Toledo where the cable company is trying to keep the telephone companies from getting fibre optics even though we sit on some of the best fibre optic trunk lines crossing America.

  And remember...people who want better