Why does Lithuania have better internet than the US?

The next time someone sings the praises of The Infallible Market show them this.

While AT&T is placing limits on their broadband customers, the people of Lithuania are celebrating news that the part-state-owned telephone company — Teo LT — is increasing broadband speeds for their customers at no additional charge.

Effective May 16th, Internet speeds of up to 300Mbps will be available from the phone company ISP – Zebra.

Teo LT has installed fiber to the home service for nearly half of Lithuania’s million-plus households, and expects to serve the majority of the Baltic nation with fiber within the next decade. Much of the rest of the country gets DSL service.

I've watched the cycle of domestic broadband availability/quality from the days of ISDN up til now, and it isn't pretty. I guess as long as Big Cable & Big Telco keep paying off the politicos we'll keep getting overpriced, underpowered junk internet aimed more at buffing the corporate bottom line than providing quality service to the consumer.

To quote Mistermix over at Balloon Juice, "Sometimes I wonder who really won the Cold War."