China's Residential Subscriber Base Will Triple by 2010 -- "Driven by explosive growth in China, the number of homes using broadband Internet services in the Asia-Pacific region will grow from 61 million today to 176 million by 2010, according to a new Strategy Analytics forecast, Residential Broadband Internet Service in the Asia-Pacific Region: Market Outlook & Analysis. The firm predicts that although China trails other Asian markets in broadband adoption today, the immense size of the Chinese consumer market will make it a key driver for broadband growth in the region. By 2010, the Chinese market will account for 64 percent of all residential broadband users in the region, up from less than 40 percent today. The Asia-Pacific region also includes countries that already lead the world in broadband adoption. 77 percent of homes in South Korea use broadband today, while Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore all boast penetration rates of 50 percent or more. In these mature markets, service providers will need to use a combination of higher access speeds, lower prices and rich media content to sustain growth over the next five years."
Try to imagine this scenario, that General Motors and Ford were given exclusive franchises to build America's interstate highway system, and also all the highways that connect local communities. Now imagine that, based upon a financial crisis, these troubled companies decided to convert all "their" local arteries into toll-roads -- they then use incremental toll fees to severely limit all travel to and from small businesses. Why? This handicapping process reduced the need to invest in building better new roads, or repairing the dilapidated ones. But, wouldn't that short-sighted decision have a detrimental impact on the overall national economy? It's a moot point -- pure fantasy -- you say. The U.S. political leadership would never knowingly risk the nation's social and economic future on the financial viability of a restrictive duopoly. Or, would they? The 21st century Global Networked Economy travels across essential broadband infrastructure. The forced intr...