by caaron
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
And when it comes to broadband, Tokyo is a long way from Little Rock.
The Japanese enjoy broadband speeds that are up to 30 times faster than what's available here at a far lower cost. This faster, cheaper, universal broadband access – according to an excellent article in today's Washington Post – "is pushing open doors to Internet innovation that are likely to remain closed for years to come in much of the United States."
To the Japanese, our "high-speed" Internet service doesn't look much different from dial-up:
The speed advantage allows the Japanese to watch broadcast-quality, full-screen television over the Internet, an experience that mocks the grainy, wallet-size images Americans endure.
Ultra-high-speed applications are being rolled out for low-cost, high-definition teleconferencing, for telemedicine — which allows urban doctors to diagnose diseases from a distance — and for advanced telecommuting to help Japan meet its goal of doubling the number of people who work from home by 2010.
Open Secrets
What's the secret of Japan's success? Open access.
Less than a decade ago, DSL service in Japan was slower and pricier than in the United States. So the Japanese government mandated open access policies that forced the telephone monopoly to share its wires at wholesale rates with new competitors. The result: a broadband explosion.
http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2007/08/29/a-tale-of-two-cities/
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