More statistics on global broadband penetration

Those of you who know me well will know that lamenting the slow rate of technological adoption in the US is one of my favourite dinner party conversation starters.

The innovation is definitely there. I read blogs and reports about fantastic new technologies every day. But once it comes time for the American public to begin using these technologies, the common response seems to be “no thank you, I’ll leave technology for my children,” or “I would, but it’s too expensive/not available.”

About a year ago, I blogged about some statistics on broadband internet penetration around the world showing the US ranked a remote 20th. Today, while reading a post by Katie Fehrenbacher on GigaOM, I found that the OECD has recently released some similar statistics. While the more authoritative OECD ranking places US at only 15th instead of 20th, the lesson here is the same, the lack of US broadband penetration is slowly eroding American competitiveness.

If I was back in Washington, I would get myself to the US Senate Commerce Committee hearing on broadband today, to hear the two expert panels weigh in on the subject, but from China I guess all I can do is hope that market failure and persuasive policy prescriptions will feature in the meeting over technical details of the kind that has frustrated the committee in the past.

The government’s eGovernment initiatives (like USA.gov) are a good start to guiding demand growth by example, but I hope that the committee hearing will address both demand-side and supply-side incentives. I’m not too hopeful that the necessary policy changes will be voted into law any time soon, but at least that means I will have more to complain about at dinner parties...