Cold, dark countries whipping US in broadband usage

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has released updated broadband data that finds the US still in 15th place worldwide. While that's not a total catastrophe, the US has been sinking for several years (it was fourth in 2001) and has yet to show any real signs of improvement. But broadband in general is booming, growing 187 percent since 2004 in OECD countries. During that same period, average advertised speeds rose from 2Mbps to 9Mbps and prices plunged. Broadband remains red-hot, even in the coldest climates, and nothing is hotter than fiber-to-the-home, which now accounts for 8 percent of all OECD broadband connections.

We reported on an earlier OECD paper that outlined why fiber optics would be the backbone of the broadband future, even when the last-mile link is delivered by cable or DSL. The new OECD data shows just how quickly fiber direct to the home is progressing; it now makes up a stunning 40 percent of all broadband connections in Japan and 34 percent in Korea. The US comes in 11th in FTTH with a percentage point or two.