The Broadband Gap: Why Do They Have More Fiber? - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

In the paradises of broadband — Japan, South Korea and Sweden — nearly everyone can surf far faster and far cheaper than anyone in the United States. What is their secret sauce and how can we get some?

The short answer is that broadband deployment in those countries was spurred by a combination of heavy government involvement, subsidies and lower corporate profits that may be tough for the economic and political system in the United States to accept. Those countries have also tried to encourage demand for broadband by paying schools, hospitals and other institutions to use high-speed Internet services.

The Broadband Gap: Why Do They Have More Fiber? - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com