The US Behind in Internet Speed: What Happened? According to an article appearing on The Week (link below), the US now ranks a dismal 31st position when it comes to internet download speeds. And the story is even worse when it comes to upload speeds: the US ranks 41st. This is behind countries like Estonia and Slovenia, which not long ago emerged from the iron curtain. It is also behind (surprise, surprise) Lesotho, a country in a continent not exactly synonymous with technology, that some imagine as one huge jungle with half-naked men armed with bows and arrows hunting for their next meal. If you guessed Africa, you are right. So, what happened? Monopoly, thats what happened. According to the article, what we see as competition between, say, Comcast and Verizon, for instance, is but a façade. The big telecommunications companies were left to themselves to decide how the market should be divided. What they did was to divide the Internet pie amongst themselves, while virtually ensuring no new company can get in easily. Of course, without competition the big guys can afford to charge ever-higher fees while offering lower quality services. Why bother so much with technological and service improvements that cut into their bottom line? Which is why Governor Perry is wrong when he says, Let the sleeping giant of American enterprise create prosperity again. The government can and should step in to ensure that the consumer is not getting a raw deal. This is also why a former lobbyist, Robert Holleyman, should NOT be confirmed deputy U.S. trade representative. President Obama can do better than this, in my opinion. theweek/article/index/257404/why-is-american-internet-so-slow
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 21:50:31 +0000
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