The Costs

The U.S. invests relatively less in telecommunications

The U.S. invests relatively less on telecommunications as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product. Indeed, we rank behind South Korea, Great Britain, Spain, Canada, Japan, France and even Mexico.

Our internet is currently more expensive to consumers

In the U.S., DSL generally reaches speeds of up to 1.5 – 3.0 mbps at a price averaging $30-$50 per month (not including fees) while cable modems generally reach speeds of 3-5 mbps for $40-$50 per month. In Japan, the cost of an average connection with the speed of 26 mbps costs about $22.

The contrast is even more striking when expressed in terms of cost per 100 kbps. The top speed generally available in Japan is 51 mbps at a cost of $0.06 per 100 kbps. The top speed generally available in the U.S. is 6 mbps available at a cost of $0.72 per 100 kbps.

In other words, the Japanese have 8.5 times the speed at 1/12 of the cost.