On the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranking of per capita broadband adoption rates among countries, the United States now ranks only No.15, down from No. 4 in 2001; but closing the broadband gap in America will not be easy. With respect to the rate of U.S. home broadband adoption, a lot has been accomplished in a relatively short time — the Pew Internet Project’s February 2007 survey found that 47% of American adults have broadband at home, nearly double the 24% penetration level of three years earlier. But given the predominant characteristics of non-broadband users, two frequently suggested strategies — reducing prices and improving infrastructure availability — are likely to have limited impacts. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.