U.S. Falls Far Behind in Broadband Access

With the U.S. ranking 35th out of 148 countries in Internet bandwidth and anywhere from 14th to 31st in average connection speed, experts are warning that the country's broadband deficit could harm its economic and technological competitiveness.

1 minute read

January 3, 2014, 11:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"The United States, the country that invented the Internet, is falling dangerously behind in offering high-speed, affordable broadband service to businesses and consumers, according to technology experts and an array of recent studies," reports Edward Wyatt. "In terms of Internet speed and cost, 'ours seems completely out of whack with what we see in the rest of the world,' said Susan Crawford, a law professor at Yeshiva University in Manhattan, a former Obama administration technology adviser and a leading critic of American broadband."

Though the Obama administration recognizes there are "significant areas for improvement," there is disagreement "over how far behind the United States really is in what many people consider as basic a utility as water and electricity — and how much it will affect the nation’s technological competitiveness over the next decade."

Sunday, December 29, 2013 in The New York Times

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