You are entirely correct that population density has something to do with it, but if that were the dominant factor, places like Manhattan and downtown Chicago would have lots of fiber to the premise. But they don't.
Another factor is country size. The U.S. has many states that are bigger than countries like Norway, Japan, and Ireland. One of the obstacles we have is basically an extra layer of government (the state) that many other countries do not have. It makes it much easier to formulate a national policy.
The U.S. has some disadvantages compared to other countries (with respect to broadband deployment). But that means we have to work harder than we are. I don't think we can just sit back and say, "Well, 16th in the world is okay, even though it puts all our businesses at a disadvantage." We have to formulate and follow through on policies that make sense in the context of the U.S. political system. And I don't see that happening in any thoughtful way.
Population density and broadband
You are entirely correct that population density has something to do with it, but if that were the dominant factor, places like Manhattan and downtown Chicago would have lots of fiber to the premise. But they don't.
Another factor is country size. The U.S. has many states that are bigger than countries like Norway, Japan, and Ireland. One of the obstacles we have is basically an extra layer of government (the state) that many other countries do not have. It makes it much easier to formulate a national policy.
The U.S. has some disadvantages compared to other countries (with respect to broadband deployment). But that means we have to work harder than we are. I don't think we can just sit back and say, "Well, 16th in the world is okay, even though it puts all our businesses at a disadvantage." We have to formulate and follow through on policies that make sense in the context of the U.S. political system. And I don't see that happening in any thoughtful way.