U.S. Considers 'Internet Access for All' - 1 views
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Paul Beaufait on 31 Mar 10In his "Blueprint for Change" economic recovery document, President Obama said that America "should lead the world in broadband penetration and Internet access." Data indicates, however, that the U.S. is far behind other nations when it comes to providing broadband access for its citizens. Figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show a sharp decline in U.S. broadband access rank among its 30 member nations. In 2001, the U.S. ranked 4th, but by the end of 2008 had fallen to 15th place. As for speed, Akamai, one of the largest global networks, released its "Q3 2009 State of the Internet" report that shows the U.S. 18th with an average connection speed of 3.9 Mbps. In first place was South Korea, which clocked in at 14.6 Mbps. (America Lagging, ¶¶1-3)