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Why is the US internet speed so far behind other countries?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Faos, Aug 29, 2007.

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Faos Contributing Member

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Because their wires are shorter.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...08/28/AR2007082801990.html?nav=rss_technology

Japan's Warp-Speed Ride to Internet Future

By Blaine Harden
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Page A01

TOKYO -- Americans invented the Internet, but the Japanese are running away with it.

Broadband service here is eight to 30 times as fast as in the United States -- and considerably cheaper. Japan has the world's fastest Internet connections, delivering more data at a lower cost than anywhere else, recent studies show.

Accelerating broadband speed in this country -- as well as in South Korea and much of Europe -- is pushing open doors to Internet innovation that are likely to remain closed for years to come in much of the United States.

The speed advantage allows the Japanese to watch broadcast-quality, full-screen television over the Internet, an experience that mocks the grainy, wallet-size images Americans endure.

Ultra-high-speed applications are being rolled out for low-cost, high-definition teleconferencing, for telemedicine -- which allows urban doctors to diagnose diseases from a distance -- and for advanced telecommuting to help Japan meet its goal of doubling the number of people who work from home by 2010.

"For now and for at least the short term, these applications will be cheaper and probably better in Japan," said Robert Pepper, senior managing director of global technology policy at Cisco Systems, the networking giant.

Japan has surged ahead of the United States on the wings of better wire and more aggressive government regulation, industry analysts say.

The copper wire used to hook up Japanese homes is newer and runs in shorter loops to telephone exchanges than in the United States. This is partly a matter of geography and demographics: Japan is relatively small, highly urbanized and densely populated. But better wire is also a legacy of American bombs, which razed much of urban Japan during World War II and led to a wholesale rewiring of the country.

In 2000, the Japanese government seized its advantage in wire. In sharp contrast to the Bush administration over the same time period, regulators here compelled big phone companies to open up wires to upstart Internet providers.

In short order, broadband exploded. At first, it used the same DSL technology that exists in the United States. But because of the better, shorter wire in Japan, DSL service here is much faster. Ten to 20 times as fast, according to Pepper, one of the world's leading experts on broadband infrastructure.

Indeed, DSL in Japan is often five to 10 times as fast as what is widely offered by U.S. cable providers, generally viewed as the fastest American carriers. (Cable has not been much of a player in Japan.)

Perhaps more important, competition in Japan gave a kick in the pants to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT), once a government-controlled enterprise and still Japan's largest phone company. With the help of government subsidies and tax breaks, NTT launched a nationwide build-out of fiber-optic lines to homes, making the lower-capacity copper wires obsolete.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...08/28/AR2007082801990.html?nav=rss_technology

#1 Faos, Aug 29, 2007

A-Train Contributing Member

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Has Japan EVER had an original idea? Baseball, electronics, cars, and now high speed internet are just a few things those moochers have stolen from the United States. Japan is nothing but a mini-USA. If it weren't for ninjas, Japan would be completely worthless historically.

#2 A-Train, Aug 29, 2007
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There is internet 2 at my university in some testing areas. But why offer cheap broadband at higher speed when you can charge people an arm and a leg for it?

#3 pirc1, Aug 29, 2007
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After world war II, Japan was forced to scale down their military branch and renounce important military ability. As a result, Japan has not had to spend nearly as much money on a defense budget, and this helps their economy greatly. In fact, when Japan recently deployed troops to Iraq, it was the first time they've used their military overseas since WW II.

#4 WildSweet&Cool, Aug 29, 2007
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text messaging has been around in the 3rd world countries for decades, yet, the US is just warming up to realize the beauty of its benefits.

#5 windfern, Aug 29, 2007
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WildSweet&Cool said:

After world war II, Japan was forced to scale down their military branch and renounce important military ability. As a result, Japan has not had to spend nearly as much money on a defense budget, and this helps their economy greatly. In fact, when Japan recently deployed troops to Iraq, it was the first time they've used their military overseas since WW II.
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lol. uh, ok. And here I was thinking it was because technologies like VDSL that require short loops aren't feasible here in the US where the distance between the local loop and the CO is usually a hell of a lot greater than in Japan.

FYI : Korea kicks our butts in Internet speed, too...

#6 Dr of Dunk, Aug 29, 2007
Falcons Talon Contributing Member

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So they can download p*rn faster...big whoop...I just need 30 seconds of video anyway.

#7 Falcons Talon, Aug 29, 2007

pirc1 Contributing Member

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Falcons Talon said:

So they can download p*rn faster...big whoop...I just need 30 seconds of video anyway.
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Ya, think of crystal clear 19" image of rocket games!

#8 pirc1, Aug 29, 2007
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WildSweet&Cool said:

After world war II, Japan was forced to scale down their military branch and renounce important military ability. As a result, Japan has not had to spend nearly as much money on a defense budget, and this helps their economy greatly. In fact, when Japan recently deployed troops to Iraq, it was the first time they've used their military overseas since WW II.
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Becuase the US came up with every idea and piece of technology that it uses today.

I think it's funny that there is a large group in this country against Big Government coming in and regulating industry but we see here that is a big reason why the broadband infrastructure in Japan has developed so rapidly.

#9 Brando2101, Aug 29, 2007
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I saw this graph a while back that compared broadband in various countries:

#10 RC Cola, Aug 29, 2007
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Not only Japan is leading in performance but coverage as well. It's a WiFi country.

#11 windfern, Aug 29, 2007
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Countries that develop the bulk of their infrastructure later are better able to shape that infrastructure to meet the demands of new technologies. That's why we have a new world power every century or so.

#12 thadeus, Aug 29, 2007
pirc1 Contributing Member

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I was feeling pretty good about my 10mb speed. These cable companies and phone companies seriously suck.

#13 pirc1, Aug 29, 2007

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pirc1 said:

These cable companies and phone companies seriously suck.
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That's a better answer than mine.

#14 WildSweet&Cool, Aug 29, 2007
Brando2101 Contributing Member

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pirc1 said:

I was feeling pretty good about my 10mb speed. These cable companies and phone companies seriously suck.
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Where do you get your internet from?

#15 Brando2101, Aug 29, 2007
pirc1 Contributing Member

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Brando2101 said:

Where do you get your internet from?
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My local cable company, soon to be comcast cable(they are taking over next Jan). Oh, I am in Indiana.

#16 pirc1, Aug 29, 2007
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Unfortunately the fact is that the US technology wise with cell phones, internet and a host of other things are far behind these countries.

#17 Stack24, Aug 29, 2007
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A-Train said:

Has Japan EVER had an original idea? Baseball, electronics, cars, and now high speed internet are just a few things those moochers have stolen from the United States. Japan is nothing but a mini-USA. If it weren't for ninjas, Japan would be completely worthless historically.
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A-Train, Sometimes I think you are slipping, but then you bust out a post like this that reminds everyone of what a great poster you are. Amazing.

#18 weslinder, Aug 29, 2007

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A-Train said:

Has Japan EVER had an original idea? Baseball, electronics, cars, and now high speed internet are just a few things those moochers have stolen from the United States. Japan is nothing but a mini-USA. If it weren't for ninjas, Japan would be completely worthless historically.
Click to expand...

America is responsible for a lot of the technology we have in the world. Japan takes it and makes it better and china makes it cheaper. I don't know what europe does.

#19 Air Langhi, Aug 29, 2007
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Air Langhi said:

America is responsible for a lot of the technology we have in the world. Japan takes it and makes it better and china makes it cheaper. I don't know what europe does.
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LOL so true.

#20 thelasik, Aug 29, 2007

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