David Akin points to a Washington Post article on broadband in Japan, where speeds are dramatically faster than those found in North America "pushing open doors to Internet innovation that are likely to remain closed for years to come in much of the United States." The article provides a solid case study for why some government involvement to facilitate competition in broadband markets can provide enormous long-term benefits.
Broadband in Japan
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In Japan…
Having just signed up for broadband in a small town (6000 people) in Northern Japan, (Hokkaido,) the impact of these policies is clear. It took one week, no home installation was necessary, it is significantly cheaper than comparable Canadian companies, and at least 3x as fast. The argument that this is due to a dense population is completely spurious, as I live next to a national park in a farming community, far from major urban centres. Canadian telecommunications companies continue to post record profits, why exactly can’t they make the process this painless?
TAO
very good