Without competitive options for Internet access, American consumers suffer, according to The Open Technology Institute's study, "The Cost of Connectivity," which compared characteristics such as price and speed of Internet offerings in 22 cities around the world. For example, New York City residents spend around 400 percent more than their Paris counterparts for slower Internet speeds.
Internet users abroad have a wider array of providers to choose from, while most American consumers can only pick between large cable providers or large telephone companies. Smaller U.S. metro areas, such as Chattanooga, Tenn., and Bristol, Va., on the other hand, offer world-class Internet speeds of 500Mbps, tying them with Hong Kong.
Previous attempts at conducting such a survey failed to take into account the size and density of cities, but this survey verifies that the U.S. is falling behind in Internet access compared with comparable cities throughout the world. The full report, found at oti.newamerica.net, includes policy recommendations for creating more competition to bring U.S. consumers up to speed.
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