Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Begin forwarded message:

From: Rob Frieden <[email protected]>
Date: October 18, 2006 3:24:10 PM EDT
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics


> Hello All:

         Fride Greisen mentioned that Denmark's Number One broadband  
penetration status may be overstated by the fact that 160 kbps  
connections qualify as broadband.

         Well in the United States the FCC officially defines  
broadband as 200 kbps or higher.  Better yet the FCC examines  
broadband penetration by zip code and attributes penetration if any  
single occupant within a zip code can access a particular service.   
With that standard, a satellite or terrestrial wireless footprint  
evidences market penetration even though wireless services typically  
cost well in excess of $100 a month as opposed to wired options at  
$50 or less. In other words the level of broadband access in the U.S.  
is substantially overstated based on the zip code metric.

         Regards,

         Rob Frieden
Pioneers Chair and Professor of Telecommunications
Penn State University
102 Carnegie Building, University Park, PA  16802
office: (814) 863-7996; fax (814) 863-8161
home: (814) 867-2545
Web page:       http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/r/m/rmf5/
Faculty profile: http://www.psu.edu/dept/comm/faculty/frieden.html
SSRN Papers Site: <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm? 
per_id=102928>http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm? 
per_id=102928