John, thanks. No problem, about the delayed response.
The first thing I'd like to point out is that the discussion about the broadband performance (so to speak) of the Asian Tigers was without reference to the economic model that drove it.
It's been recognized upstream that there were differences in the drivers:
"At the extremes, change seems to fall into 2 categories - proactive (Korea, Japan, Sweden) and reactive, of which the US and Canada are two good examples. In the first category, some countries have been able to take impressive steps because the move to broadband was largely accomplished by governmental or governmental/industrial elite fiat. Not always, though: the impressive gains in Sweden and the Netherlands were more democratically enacted."
Message 22394876
"Decisions can be made democratically (Sweden, the Netherlands) or by fiat (China, Korea, Japan). The instrument is policy."
Message 22867250
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Some of the drivers behind Asian broadband buildout don't exist here. Your use of the term "command economy" sums up many of those reasons succinctly. There are also cultural differences, and intra-national competitive aspects to their motivations.
But here's the thing, John:
Previously discussed here was the Euro policy construct, which permitted Sweden's early broadband lead. Sweden is now being joined by Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands and more recently by the UK.
These countries don't have "command economies". They're all democratic nations, acting on what they believe best serves their nations, and their people.
So what's the driver? Good telecomms policy. The EU policy construct allows those nations aspiring to high-throughput networks to move as far, and as fast, as they can.
Are the companies involved losing money? Nope. They're making a profit. Are they being subsidized? Nope. They're benficiaries of policies that create a level playing field.
Any argument that "... it's different here... we don't do things that way," must founder on facts provided by the Euro experience.
Most would argue that high-throughput networks are desirable. They are also technologically feasible and economically viable: in "command economies" and democratic, demand-driven societies just like ours.
So what's holding us back?
1 - Successful but counterproductive efforts by entrenched interests to maintain status quo dependencies
2 - Political failure to articulate the national and public interest, and to create and enact effective policy.
JMO,
Jim |
