1. GAO Report on Nat’l Broadband Plan • US agencies with responsibilities for broadband deployment • FCC • Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House • NTIA in the Department of Commerce • RUS in the Department of Agriculture

2. International comparisons • Average broadband speeds—1.352 Mbps in Mexico to 11.717 Mbps in So. Korea • US ranked 14th with 3.808 Mbps average speed • Population a factor—7 of the OECD countries with highest adoption rate had smallest population • Price • US price per megabit is lower than OECD average except for very high speed, where it is much higher • Computer ownership • US ranks 5th in the OECD countries • Income • US ranks 8th in OECD countries in gross national income per capita

3. 7 countries studied • Japan, Canada, France, the Netherlands, So. Korea, Sweden, and the UK • Lessons/patterns • All instituted broadband plans and their leaders have emphasized broadband initiatives • All have funded private/public partnerships • All have taken steps to encourage competition • Loop unbundling, regulation of interconnection rates • All have expanded online services to increase usefulness of broadband • Several have provided digital training or provided subsidies