Broadband adoption in Germany trails badly behind the rest of Europe according to �Europe Surges Ahead on Broadband,� the latest research from Strategy Analytics. From the company�s Broadband Media & Communications service this report reveals that Germany has the lowest level of broadband ownership out of 14 European countries. Only 24 percent of German homes will have broadband by the end of 2005, compared to 56 percent in the Netherlands, Europe�s leading broadband market. �Germany�s fragmented and highly-regulated cable industry is a key factor in the constrained growth of broadband,� said Martin Olausson, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics. �With limited competition in Germany, Deutsche Telekom (DTAG) has no real incentive to implement an aggressive growth strategy for broadband.� This report also notes that after the Asia-Pacific market, Europe has now overtaken North America as the second largest broadband market in the world. It also predicts that total broadband household penetration in Western Europe will reach 63 percent by 2010, by which time 93 percent of online households will use broadband to access the Internet.
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 intro...