The Misuse of International Broadband Rankings Continues…

[Commentary] According to a just-released report by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) entitled The Whole Picture: Where America’s Broadband Networks Really Stand, “Despite the frequent claims that the United States lags in international broadband comparisons, the studies cited to support this claim are out-of-date, poorly-focused, and/or analytically deficient.” We couldn’t agree more, and extend our kudos to Richard Bennett, Luke Steward, and Rob Atkinson for a thorough and dispassionate analysis of broadband deployment and adoption across developed economies.

Indeed, I suspect ITIF’s report will become the ”go to” document of the most current basic statistics on where the U.S. falls in international broadband comparisons. Given that the authors’ conclude that the U.S. presently fairs very well in international comparisons and that its position is improving, this document will not please everyone, particularly those who have long been fabricating a broadband crisis in order to support increased government control of the Internet. If you’re still hung up on the international comparisons debate or interact with people that are, I encourage you to read the new ITIF report. But better, I hope you find that this study (along with the other research mentioned here) has put this issue to bed once and for all so we can move on to more relevant and substantive topics in the broadband debate.