When It Comes To High-Speed Internet, US 'Falling Way Behind'

A Q&A with Susan Crawford, author of Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly Power in the Gilded Age.

For an increasing number of Americans, access to high-speed Internet has become an essential part of our lives. We do work, email friends, find restaurants, watch videos and movies, and check the weather. And the Internet is increasingly used for important services, like video medical consults and online education, and is relied upon by businesses for critical operations. Under a recent court decision, Internet service providers, primarily cable companies, aren't required to treat all websites equally. They can make deals to provide faster service to some, or slow down sites that refuse to pay them extra fees. Crawford says you may be experiencing the effects of this -- without realizing it.