Oh the horror. The Washington Post reports:

Americans invented the Internet, but the Japanese are running away with it.

Broadband service here is eight to 30 times as fast as in the United States — and considerably cheaper. Japan has the world’s fastest Internet connections, delivering more data at a lower cost than anywhere else, recent studies show.

So what? Honestly, so what? What are the great things the Japanese are doing with the speedy internet? The story states three things–full size TV quality video, telemedicine, and maybe more working from home. Is this real innovation? Does any of it matter? Obviously the telemedicine is the most compelling, but as the story states, Japan has a severe shortage of pathologists. Does America? Even if America does, then what needs to happen is a few very fast connections need to be run to out-of-the-way places. That solves the only real advantage the Japanese and their fast internet have on America.

Does internet speeds have to be any faster to promote working at home? My home internet connection is much faster than my connection at work. Also, what advantage does full size video give me? I’m sure there is some, but if it’s a big improvement, then why aren’t more people clamoring for it?

I’m a big fan of the internet. I’ve made housing choices before based solely on which location had faster internet. But I don’t see why people are so concerned about slower internet in the US. Let the Japanese come up with the killer application that demands greater bandwidth–then there will be calls for faster internet and it will happen. Until there is demand, we won’t see internet of the speed it is in Japan.