Rankings we’ve just published today show South Korea hanging on to the title of  number one most fiber-enabled country through the end of 2009, though Singapore will overtake it by 2013. 

Singapore  is currently underway with its  “iN2015” initiative, part of which includes the construction of a 1 Gbps Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, with mandated 100% coverage by January 1, 2013.

Similarly, Australia’s $31 billion National Broadband Network (NBN), will catapult the country  from 21^st to 8^th place worldwide by 2013.  The government-backed FTTP based solution aims to deliver 100 Mbps FTTP service to 90% of Australian households, schools, and businesses over the next eight years.

2009 FTTH Penetration Rankings

Singapore and Australia couldn’t differ more in terms of topography and density, so comparisons of the two initiatives are probably not worthwhile. Still, these types of rollouts pose some important policy issues regarding the role of government in the provision of broadband.

Fiber is the future of broadband—as I’ve said before, DSL is in many ways the “new dialup,” and will soon be unable to support consumer applications.

In a report  I wrote last year,  Sputnik Moment: The Call for a National Broadband Policy, I raised the issue of the role of broadband as a utility, and drew a comparison between the laying of broadband infrastructure today and nationwide electrification 80 years ago. It was the hand of government, and the passage of the Rural Electrification Act that got America "on the grid." A similar argument can be made for wiring a country for broadband.

Critics of the plan might fairly question whether citizens have an inalienable right to fast downloads and high-definition video, which would justify government management. However, in the case of Australia, the proposed network goes beyond simply connecting the public for the purposes of enhanced web browsing experiences or faster downloads. Instead, it is a multi-sector proposal, effectively laying the foundation for myriad government, health, employment and education applications.

Indeed, the parallels are evident between broadband and electrification. In the US case, there was strong opposition to the government's involvement in the distribution of electric power, and claims of anti-competitiveness and socialism were common. Those taking the "long view" saw the benefits achieved by electrifying America's rural heartland and agriculture industry-increased efficiency, output and profitability.