Broadband Penetration Rates and Population Densities -- OECD Data Supports Their Non-Correlation.

Time and time again, I hear apologists state that the reason why the US is lagging behind many other countries in its broadband penetration rate is because of its relatively lower population density. A closer look at the recent OECD data (through December 2005) offers a pretty damning critique of this position.

The population density of the United States is roughly 31 inhabitants per square kilometer. While some countries with higher broadband penetration rates do have much higher population densities (e.g., South Korea has 483 inhabitants per square kilometer; Japan has 338), others have much lower (e.g., Iceland has 3 inhabitants per square kilometer, as does Canada). In the end, with the US in 12th place, 5 countries have lower population densities, 6 have higher.

What this points to is that broadband penetration rates don't correlate well with population densities. Which begs the question, what then, if not population density, accounts for why so many countries are doing better than the US; and, relatedly, how has the US managed to do so poorly (slipping from first to 12th in a single decade)?

Here's the full info for population for all 30 OECD countries covered the first number is the broadband penetration rate, the second is that country's population density (inhabitants per square kilometer -- as of December 2005):

Read more...

Iceland 26.7 3.0
Korea 25.4 483.0
Netherlands 25.3 399.0
Denmark 25.0 125.0
Switzerland 23.1 179.0
Finland 22.5 15.0
Norway 21.9 14.0
Canada 21.0 3.0
Sweden 20.3 20.0
Belgium 18.3 341.0
Japan 17.6 338.0
United States 16.8 31.0
United Kingdom 15.9 244.0
France 15.2 110.0
Luxembourg 14.9 174.0
Austria 14.1 97.0
Australia 13.8 3.0
Germany 13.0 231.0
Italy 11.9 191.0
Spain 11.7 85.0
Portugal 11.5 114.0
New Zealand 8.1 15.0
Ireland 6.7 58.0
Czech Republic 6.4 129.0
Hungary 6.3 109.0
Slovak Republic 2.5 110.0
Poland 2.4 122.0
Mexico 2.2 52.0
Turkey 2.1 92.0
Greece 1.4 84.0