A new study by The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reveals that overally broadband has become faster and cheaper, especially in countries where there are a large number of cable and DSL providers.
The study focused on broadband deployment, tracks usage, deployment, and pricing trends over the past couple of years. DSL prices fell on average by 19% from September 2005 to October 2006, while comparable speeds jumped by 29%. Cable broadband also got cheaper, dropping 16% in price while getting 27% faster.
The OECD ranked countries both on affordability of broadband packages and price per megabit. The US is at the cheap end of the spectrum when it comes to the range of prices, coming in at number four behind Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland.
The cost per month of broadband service in the US ranged from $15.93 at the low end to $191.20 at the opposite extreme. Swedish broadband ranged from $10.79 to $46.74, Denmark from $11.11 to $105.10, and Switzerland’s from $12.53 to $55.65.
