On top of that, the US lags in broadband penetration. Compared to the rest of the world, we're 19th. Even the UK, with its aging telecomm infrastructure, is ahead of the US in overall broadband penetration.

Some of the data is mixed, though. DSL pricing is roughly at parity in Asia Pacific, Europe, and the US. But DSL pricing doesn't tell the whole picture. Fiber optic infrastructure is a major factor in Japan and Korea, for example, though DSL is still the major pipe of choice in Europe.