A new map shows the shortcomings of broadband in Europe. The data recently
released shows that there is wide variation in broadband availability across
the continent, with large areas unserved by next generation broadband access
services, and some areas lacking access to just average connection speeds.
Source: BCE
2012, Point Topic, TechPolicyDaily.com
The map shows
that there are some countries in Europe that are standouts in broadband,
offering superfast speeds and boasting high rates of adoption. Denmark is one
example of an EU broadband leader. However, such success is certainly not the norm
in Europe.
The European
Commission updated its Digital Agenda Scoreboard this summer, and also found that the EU
still has a lot of work to do to meet the Commission’s “Connected Continent” goals. The update showed that in some
countries, only about half of the population has access to average connection
speeds, and other countries suffer from low broadband adoption. In France, Ireland, Greece, Croatia and Italy, less than
25% of households had access to high-speed services of at least 30 Mbps; these
speeds were only available to 53.8% of households at the end of 2012. In Italy,
30% of citizens do not use
the Internet at all and lack digital literacy skills.
Especially
compared with the U.S., these reports are troubling for Europe. At the end of
last year, 95% of Americans had access to
high speed broadband from multiple networks. For the small percentage of
Americans that dwell in mountainous areas, satellite broadband is available, as
it is to 99% of Americans. As one report stated, “This
is the envy of Europe.”
As I have noted previously, the
data shows
that the U.S. leads Europe in broadband speeds, connectivity, and value, and EU
leaders are now acknowledging
that Europe lags behind the U.S. in broadband progress. EU Commissioner and
Digital Agenda Leader Neelie Kroes has urged European
policy makers to look to the U.S. as an example of success in the ICT sector.
This latest map provides another
indication of – and a way to visually grasp – the harms resulting from overregulation in Europe. In order to remain a world leader in
broadband, the U.S. must continue to support innovation and growth by removing
unnecessary regulatory barriers to network development and build-out.
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