First, Australia announces $31 billion to build a massive fiber optic network across the country, aiming to give 90 percent of its citizens 100 megabits of speed by 2018.  The UK is much more conservative spending $366 million for universal broadband of 2 megabits by 2012. Even Estonia is devoting $374 million for 100 megabit broadband by 2015.

In the midst of an economic crisis, these countries are throwing around heaps of money, to spread the internet to all corners.  Maybe they recognize the value having a connected populous can be, like telephone and power lines were almost a century ago.

Unfortunately, the U.S. still treats broadband like an afterthought rather than a priority. President Obama has stated national broadband is important, but the longer we wait, the farther ahead other countries get building up their infrastructure, taking away the technological advantages the U.S. has in the increasingly competitive world.

What’s worse, is easy fixes are ignored in place of bad policy and even worse corporate irresponsibility.  Time Warner Cable pulled back on plans to implement metered price plans for broadband, and now is pulling back on plans to increase capability – something that would improve value and thus increase their subscriptions.

Further, Time Warner Cable, again, is lobbying Wilson, North Carolina to block municipal broadband.  Time Warner Cable is trying to pass a bill banning municipal broadband, similar to the bills its and other ISPs have passed in more than a dozen states.  Why municipal broadband has to be banned isn’t clear since in a free market economy, competition is considered healthy.  The town just wants to offer its citizens what Time Warner refuses to provide.