Broadening Broadband (For the Good of America)

Sam Gustin's August 2009 article about America's sub-par broadband Internet infrastructure raised some red flags that until reading I hadn't noticed before. The thrust of Gustin's argument, which he effectively proves through linked evidence, is that America's national broadband system is the worst for a developed country in the industrialized world. In a study done by the Communication Workers of America, the U.S. ranks 28th in terms of broadband Internet speed and coverage. For the greatest country in the world, to not have adequate Internet service is embarrassing; however, it is not surprising for a number of reasons I will explain.

The U.S. is currently the only industrialized country without a national broadband policy. When Barack Obama was elected president, he promised, as part of his economic stimulus package, to spend $7.2 billion on strengthening America's broadband system. While it's encouraging to see a politician work to increase Internet access and service, I don't see huge changes on the horizon. As Gustin writes, "The average U.S. broadband speed has increased by a meager 1.6 megabits per second, from 3.5 mbps in 2007 to 5.1 mbps in 2009." He continues: "At this pace, the U.S. won't catch up to South Korea - the nation with the fastest broadband speed at 20.4 mbps - for 15 years." In short, America is losing the race for supreme Internet service .

Another question that this issue raises is the place that the Internet holds in American society. According to Larry Cohen, president of the Communication Workers of America, "Every American should have affordable access to high-speed Internet, no matter where they live. This is essential to economic growth and will help maintain our global competitiveness." I agree with Cohen's point, but I wonder if the Internet is an important enough entity to warrant such government intervention. Wouldn't it be nice to see the government nationalize Internet access like Obama has recently done for health care? I think that would be an amazing accomplishment every American would support, especially if the government improved on the already successful Internet model.

I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for such government intervention, but it's obvious that America's broadband system is not up to par with the rest of the world. I hope the future will bring changes to the Internet that everyone, regardless of race or class or intelligence, can enjoy. That would be good for the world and America.