US The Is a Leader in Innovation and Adoption for Advanced Broadband Wireless Services

[Commentary] The notion that the US is far behind other countries when it comes to wireless broadband innovation and adoption is wrong and harmful to good thinking regarding Internet policy.

First, a presentation made by Morgan Stanley in June of this past year has this headline in one of its slides: “Mobile Internet – Tortoise vs. Hare? USA Surpassed Japan as Country with Most 3G Users in CQ1:09 – USA Has Become Global Leader in Mobile Users + Innovation.” The data in the presentation suggests that the US has completely overtaken Japan in the number of 3G users by a country mile. Just a few years ago, most felt that Japan would dominate the mobile industry because of the rapid adoption in that country of both mobile phones and online services like banking. Morgan Stanley’s analysis shows the U. S. has pulled ahead in strongly in the number of people in the US using 3G devices.

A second Morgan Stanley presentation done in November of last year takes the data a step further, looking globally at 3G markets. Who is ahead? The US once again, ahead not only in terms of total numbers of 3G users but also in many cases in the rate of growth of adoption in the U. S. and in total penetration. A few countries – like Japan and Korea - rival or exceed the U. S. in one or both of these metrics. But very few other countries come even close. And in terms of total numbers of Americans using 3G services and devices, the U. S. outpaces many of the countries in Europe and elsewhere commonly cited as “being ahead of the U. S. in wireless”. That includes France, Germany, Sweden and the UK. Why is the US moving so rapidly ahead? Maybe it is because we are very innovative when it comes to wireless applications and services.

The US wireless market is the most innovative and competitive on the planet. And as a result, consumers get great value and a host of options and they are voting with their feet in rapidly buying new 3G devices and services. And now the US is poised to lead in the evolution to 4G as Verizon rapidly builds out its LTE network and other players move to deploy technologies beyond 3G. To claim otherwise, as far too many do, is baseless, it is as simple as that.