The notion that the United States of America is the most advanced and prosperous nation in the world is one that has been fading over the past decade or two. The US has slowly been sliding down the worlds national rankings in healthcare, education, and overall quality of life. Broadband speeds reflect this sort of declination as well, not in terms of regress, but through slower progress.
As a nation without any sort of military force, Japan has a great deal of wealth it chooses to put toward technological pursuits. This, paired with its rather small overall size, allows the island nation to maintain a very concentrated, cheap, high-speed satellite Internet service that boasts rates 12 times cheaper and faster than the top US networks. Japan owes its success to regulations very similar to Network Neutrality.
Years ago, Japan was far behind the United States in terms of service speed and cost, but now they have us beaten tenfold. The island nation owe's its success to regulations very similar to Network Neutrality, as well as its manageable size. Japan has their entire nation bathed in broadband, while the US is currently straining for subsidies to reach rural areas. After observing US policy pushes, Japan adopted an imposed an Open Access rule on its telecoms then provided them with subsidies and tax breaks necessary to lay and expand a fiber optic broadband service. The results of their decision to adopt a Net Neutrality rule are apparent today, with Japan leading the world in access speed, cost, and availability.
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