Mediatwits #126: Broadband Internet Costs Rising; Zuckerberg to the Rescue?

Published: Aug. 15, 2014, 2:34 a.m.

There’s something upside-down about broadband Internet service in the U.S., the country that helped invent the Internet. Americans in cities are paying more for slower Internet access -- both at home and on mobile -- than other parts of the developed world, according to a report last year from New America Foundation. And recently, Zach Seward at Quartz found that Time Warner Cable (which Comcast is trying to buy out) has steadily increased broadband prices in recent years as TV and phone service prices have dropped. The demand for high speed Internet at home is growing as people forfeit their cable packages for streaming services. Meanwhile, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has pledged that “connectivity is a human right,” and his Internet.org non-profit arm is planning to offer free mobile broadband to the developing world. On this week’s podcast, we’ll discuss rising Internet costs and the chances for free services with special guests Zach Seward from Quartz and David Meyer from GigaOm. Plus, we’ll have regulars Alex Leo from Newsweek and Andrew Lih from American University, with MediaShift’s Mark Glaser hosting and Fannie Cohen producing.