Why US Broadband Is So Slow

All Finns are now guaranteed a connection

(NEWSER) - Sure, here in the US we have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But the Finnish government is tossing in the right to speedy Internet access, reports the AFP . Today Finland became the first country in the world to guarantee the availability of a broadband connection for every citizen. "The universal service obligation concerning Internet access of one Megabit per second (Mbit/s) has entered into force," says a government official. More»

Research links web use to well-being, especially in women

(NEWSER) - Turns out the hours you spend online might be helping, not hurting , you. Research from Britain's Chartered Institute of IT finds a link between internet use and well-being. "Put simply, people with IT access are more satisfied with life," one researcher tells Time . "IT has an enabling and empowering role in people's lives, by increasing their sense of freedom and control." More»

Town hopes to win fiber optics experiment with 'Lucky' campaign

(NEWSER) - Topeka, Kansas, isn’t the only midsize city sucking up to Google in hopes of hosting its high-speed fiber optic broadband experiment. Greenville, South Carolina, is giving Topeka a run for its money with its “We’re Feeling Lucky” campaign, a play on Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button. The city’s set up a YouTube channel, a Twitter hashtag, and a petition so residents can show their enthusiasm for the idea. More»

If nothing else, it could ramp up pressure on big ISP's

(NEWSER) - Google's plan to test ultra-fast Internet speeds via fiber optic networks is going over well with tech bloggers:

• Mark Sullivan, PC World : "Google hopes that the new model will fire up the business of being a small, local ISP. That can only be good. ... Google has a rare opportunity to put real pressure on large ISPs like AT&T and Comcast to sell more bandwidth for less money."
• Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider : Cool strategy: "Google makes noise about getting into the telecom business, telcos freak out and spend more money, fast networks get built either way, and Google wins."

Speeds of 1 gig per second are 100 times what consumers normally get

(NEWSER) - Google plans to offer select cities broadband Internet access at 1 gigabit per second—100 times faster than usual consumer access—to demonstrate what ultra-high speed connections can do. The service will be available to between 50,000 and 500,000 people through a variety of providers at a “competitive price,” the search giant tells the Wall Street Journal . Interested cities must contact the company before the end of March. More»