[Local consumers are not alone in this discourse.] [Mercury News] http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/vindu/2007/05/06/a-world-laggard-the-us-needs... <snip> When it comes to reasonably priced, high-speed Internet service, the United States is an embarrassment. Despite years of promises from politicians and technology titans, the U.S. continues to lag far behind our global competitors. During the past year, the U.S. slipped from 12th to 15th place in broadband Internet penetration per capita, behind much of Western Europe, Korea, Japan and Canada, according to a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Worse, much of U.S. "broadband" service is only a smidgen faster than a dialup modem. Japan leads the world in cutting-edge fiber connections, offering speeds of up to 100 Mbps to 7.9 million home subscribers in 2006. In the U.S., only a paltry 700,000 have fiber connections. ..... Both government and the telecommunications industry are to blame. The technology to deliver truly high-speed Internet access is there, especially for cable subscribers. Customers need to demand better service from providers. ..... What can you do about this shameful state of Internet access? First of all, speak up as a customer. If you're in the Bay Area, complain to Comcast and AT&T/SBC/Pacific Bell and ask them why they offer such slow Internet speeds. Demand better. A coalition of consumer groups has launched SavetheInternet.com, which is principally dedicated to net neutrality (the principle that no Web site should get favored access from an Internet service provider) but also crusades for affordable broadband. You can join their efforts to push for better broadband. Contact the FCC directly and tell them you're tired of seeing the U.S. lag the rest of the world and they need to start pushing the cable and DSL companies to upgrade service. Ask the president why we he has utterly failed to keep his 2004 promise to give every American access to high-speed Internet service. And finally, contact your congressional representatives. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi campaigned last year on bringing affordable broadband to everyone within five years. Hold her to it! <snip>