Broadband Abroad: Internet Connectivity Outside of the US (US far behind)

[Sgent]

Nearly 60 publications in countries ranging from Australia and Bangladesh to Venezuela and Vietnam either carry the PC World name or are associated with us in some way. So we asked editors at several of them to tell us how their readers get online. Not surprisingly, our colleagues report that many countries are substantially ahead of the United States in many respects.

For example, in the United Kingdom, you can buy DSL service with a download speed of up to 24 megabits per second. In Denmark, some people have fiber-optic connections as fast as 100 mbps. And in Italy and Spain, broadband service is cheap, and dial-up service is free (except for the cost of the local call). Still, many countries have their own connection quirks; read about them below.

Italy

In Italy, Internet users can subscribe to fiber-optic service from FastWeb. According to PC World Italia's Maurizio Lazzaretti, the service provides 10 mbps of bandwidth, though that's also used for television delivery. DSL service is less expensive but more common in less densely populated areas, with 4 mbps being the most common option; it costs about 20 euros per month (around $25) plus VAT (tax). Fiber-optic service costs twice that. With both types of services, subscribers can add VoIP capability for around 20 euros per month. Dial-up service is free, except for the local call.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, people have a few more options, though fiber optics isn't yet one of them. DSL speeds of up to 24 mbps for downloads and 1.3 mbps for uploads are available, though they're geographically limited, says Simon Jary, editorial director of PC Advisor. Rosemary Haworth, PC Advisor's features editor, adds that "in practice, the availability of such speeds is still very much limited to places within spitting distance of a British Telephone exchange enabled for such rates, so get fobbed off with 18 mbps if theya??re lucky." We should all be so lucky.

Broadband Abroad: ...

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Leave All American Infrastructure Behind

One of *'s crowning achievements. :eyes:

[acmejack]

2. Wait till they screw us with this COPE Act.

Net Neutrality just can't be tolerated it is to inconvenient both for the Republicons and the entrenched powers of the Democratic Party (Right Rahm of the "Bloggers & Al Sharpton" remark http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/11275627/the_low_post_democrats_walk_themselves_to_the_gallows ) they will do it just to dilute our power. Maybe not this term but most certainly in the 110th Congress. We had better fight like hell now because they are going to do it, watch! :(

[TheWraith]

3. You sound like you don't know what net neutrality means.

If you did, you'd realize that NN or a lack of it has really nothing to do with blogging.

[acmejack]

4. I know exactly what it means thank you.

I also know they have intentions of making it very difficult for us to use the net effectively in the future as an organizing & fund raising tool. Net Neutrality is merely one of the methods through which they will effect this. Blogging is a generic term with which they are addressing the netroots (if you will allow me to be so general) lately.

btw you are right I am an idiot so I will save you the trouble of telling me that, thank you.

[w4rma]

5. It means that if you have a blog then access to that blog will be slower

without NN.