Re:Why Super-Fast Internet Is Coming Super Slowly
by rayiner on Monday February 24, 2014 @03:41PM
(#7293298)
Its a combination of density, economics, and politics. Japan/Korea are best case scenario. Not only very dense, but people believe in tech as a way forward economically. In the U.S., the places that are dense also have intractable politics. Outside the tech set, you're not going to sell San Franciscans on the idea that gigabit should be an important priority. They couldn't care less.
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Re:Why Super-Fast Internet Is Coming Super Slowly
by w1ntermute on Monday February 24, 2014 @05:33PM
(#7293872)
> Japan/Korea are best case scenario. Not only very dense, but people believe in tech as a way forward economically.
This is a common misconception. When it comes to actually using technology, the Japanese are at least a decade behind the West, thanks to their aging, collectivist, and risk-averse society. Fax machines continue to be widely used[0].
The primary difference is that in Japan, the government nationalized the last mile, resulting in a ton of competition. You can pick between a dozen ISPs in Tokyo.
0: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/world/asia/in-japan-the-fa...