Walt Mossberg, the world’s most powerful technology product reviewer, opened the final session of the D: All Things Digital conference with an angry tirade against the s-s-s-low state of broadband in the United States.

“WE ARE VERY SLOW,” Mossberg complained of U.S. Internet access speeds.

The target of 61-year-old Uncle Walt’s wrath was Kevin Martin, 42, the boyish-looking chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, who was punished on-stage before an audience of high-tech industry insiders.

Mossberg: “You are the head of the FCC. How have you allowed this to happen? I AM DEAD SERIOUS. HOW HAVE YOU ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN?

Martin: “I am not sure I am solely responsible. I am also not sure the charts capture the whole story. I think you do have to put in the context some of the demographics of the United States and some of the countries we are competing against.

Mossberg: Does that explain why we pay $12.50 per megabit in the United States as opposed to $3.09 in Japan and $3.70 in France? Why are we paying four times as much?

Martin: Yes it does. Because it costs a lot more to build out in more rural areas and people who live further apart… We have a history of averaging some of the cost to make it affordable for people in Montana.

Full/photos:
http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2008/05...-over-his-knee/

This is easy to fix; approve Broadband Over Power Lines. It's being tested in the Dallas area currently (no pun intended). Way faster than broadband and if you have electric lines to your house, you can get it. Pressure your local electric company to hop on board.

Sounds like we do everything backwards just so the corporation can make money.

Pay no attention to the farce behind the face of the American communication infrastructures.

The Phone companies would still love it if we could only call each other on lines they own and operate, and only their lines.

They'd also like a watered down internet. One where we'd only be able to use their services as our information centers.

When the communications lobbyists give their money, it only takes the FCC a millisecond before they get on their knees.