[HAL9000]

In my opinion, the main reason the U.S. has fallen behind is - AT&T (formerly known as Southwestern Bell). They should have been upgrading their antique infrastructure instead of spending billions on unnecessary acquisitions. Their utility monopoly now covers so much territory, they can't afford the upgrades to modern technology.

[Larry Lucido]

Once we’re all wireless, this will all be moot. It will be like bemoaning that the U.S. will never “catch up” in buggy whip manufacturing. True statement, but so what?

[raygun]

The people that told you that are losers

[Centurion2000]

It is very doubtful, almost impossible, that we'll catch up to those countries ahead of us in broadband penetration.

That could be due to the fact that we are the 3rd largest country in the world and require hundreds as much fibre cables as these tiny countries no larger than good sized US metropolitan areas or states.

When China, Russia and Africa all have larger and faster networks than the USA, I'll worry.

[jveritas]

2007 Internet Statistics:

% of Population (Penetration) using the internet:

North America: 69.5%

Oceania/Australia: 54.5%

Europe: 39.8%

Latin America/ Caribbean: 19.8%

Asia: 11.8%

Middle East:10.1%

Africa: 3.6%

Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

At the end Americans have by far more access to the internet at home, at work, and at school than any other place in the world. Many Europeans and other places in the world access the internet at work or at the "internet cafes" but not at home because either they do not have computers or because they are not wired, most probably because they do not have computers.

[Gone_Postal]

I'm happy with my cable connection it rates about 10MBs and for only $9.99 more a month I can get even faster speeds... I like speed but.......I can live with what I have
All I have to do is go over and visit my friend who has dial up
Then compare.........

[ßuddaßudd]

That darned last mile again...