Hi BigDaddyTX,

Quote:
Here in the US, we average ~9 Mbs The UK gets ~10


These speed numbers are just the advertised speeds. Actually the situation is worse that that over here in the UK as a large proportion of DSL subscribers use the asymmetric DSL BT IP network. The 20 Mbits/sec @ $40/month is for a local coaxial cable supplier and I suspect that it is probably very expensive compared to prices in the US. A cheaper low speed 2 Mbits/sec line costs $9/month. The cable company is pretty reliable though to the point where I just use a VOIP phone line without the need for a PSTN line so I guess you get what you pay for.

Although the average advertised speeds are 10 Mbits/sec, the reality is probably an average around 4-6 Mbits/sec for broadband over the final PSTN copper twisted pair from the exchange. ADSL2+ will probably double the real average speed to around 8-15 Mbits/sec for the average UK broadband consumer but that again that is a couple of years away.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/6500

This was really interesting to read. I liked the way the FCC regarded anything above 0.2 Mbits/sec as broadband and that if just 1 consumer in the zip code had broadband then everyone was considered to have broadband in that Zipcode area.

Quote:
Early in 2006, a GAO report slammed the FCC for using such bogus data. It uses a very low hurdle for what counts as "broadband" and then measures broadband based on zipcodes only. So if one broadband provider provides 200kbps service to a single house in that zipcode, the FCC considers broadband to be available to everyone in that zipcode.


That even beats the 'Get your 8 Meg Broadband' only to find out your lucky if you get 5 Meg over here in the UK frown

A lot of emphasis is placed on the Broadband speeds but the availability of Broadband services to everyone is just as important IMHO.