High-speed internet access throughout the world

[ManaMan]

http://i.imgur.com/xVT0F.jpg

How are Japan and South Korea so fast and so cheap??? Is it government subsidies?

[Kupek]

It's not everything, but they are relatively small countries with large populations. Something like a <strike>third</strike> tenth of Japan's population lives in Tokyo's metro area. Infrastructure is easier when people are concentrated.

[Zeus]

Country size is certainly a factor, no doubt, considering a lot of that is through fiber-op cables.

Here's what's really sad for us Canadians: we not only have barely better speeds than Iceland (and US :-) but we pay FAR more per GB than most of the civilized world, save for Portugal and Poland. Yeah, you US guys might get only 63% of our speeds but you're also only paying only 51% as much as we do. France is on easy street compared to us (more than twice the speeds for nearly 1/4 the price) and Japan and Korea are light years ahead in both categories. And it's gonna get worse for us come June when the CRTC starts pounding us even harder by allowing the big boys to charge the littles ones per GB as opposed to flat rates. I'd love to see what this survey looks like at this time next year.

[Imakeholesinu]

http://i.imgur.com/xVT0F.jpg

How are Japan and South Korea so fast and so cheap??? Is it government subsidies?

We had a huge discussion about this in the FCC and Net Neutrality thread I started awhile back.

Also, it is because their providers were more service oriented rather than being stockholder oriented. Hence why AT&T sucks donkey dick with its 3G coverage and is failing miserably at the U-Verse rollout in STL because I STILL CAN'T GET IT!!! YOU FUCKS TOLD ME END OF NOV AND IT IS JAN!!!! Uhg....there is always charter....

[ManaMan]

Also, it is because their providers were more service oriented rather than being stockholder oriented. Hence why AT&T sucks donkey dick with its 3G coverage and is failing miserably at the U-Verse rollout in STL because I STILL CAN'T GET IT!!! YOU FUCKS TOLD ME END OF NOV AND IT IS JAN!!!! Uhg....there is always charter....

Hah, I used to work at at&t and worked on some of the applications for installation and maintenance scheduling for U-Verse (known as "Project Lightspeed" when I worked there).

Country size is certainly a factor, no doubt, considering a lot of that is through fiber-op cables.

Yeah, that's probably it. What about Sweden though? I guess most Swedes live around Stockholm(?)

[SineSwiper]

Quit comparing smaller countries to larger countries. It's really an apples and oranges comparison. Hell, when the federal government institutes a multi-billion dollar program to expand broadband to rural areas, you know you have a large country with a LOT of infrastructure to cover.

[Flip]

... Hence why AT&T sucks donkey dick with its 3G coverage....

Even though those Verizon 'We've got a map for that' ads are annoying, they are pounding the shit out of AT&T with them and i would bet my nuts that it is working really well.

What was AT&T's counter? A fat Luke Wilson throwing postcards on a map that AT&T covers?... Gee, you have coverage in allllll those cities that everyone else covers!.... AND i can surf the web and talk on the phone, which i never need to do!? i'm NOT sold, you fat douchey turd.

[SineSwiper]

Yeah, I can't believe they counter with surfing+talking. Who the fuck does that? Even iPhone countered with that in one commercial, citing unrealistic examples. Here's what would really happen:

"Okay, have you got the site pulled up?"
"No, it's still loading... ...Okay, it's up, lemme click on this link."
"You find it yet?"
"No, it's loading again. Hold on, I'll just call you back."