Examples like remote-medical applications are pretty meaningless. High bandwidth applications for regular users is what will change the world.
I think the result of the US lagging behind is that the rest of the world has to wait too. Because US-based innovators don't have the connections they don't create the new applications. Japanese users don't have much use for their awesome connections now. I know, I have one.
While you can't argue that there hasn't been a meaningful web application to come out of Japan, the article is still pretty upsetting. The stupidity of the federal government in this country is incredible. As an American I am pretty pissed off that we are this far behind. It is a pretty upsetting paradox , how the us is home to amazing innovators despite the stupidity of the federal government. The state of US infrastructure is disgusting from mass transit to the internet, its pretty depressing.
I think the result of the US lagging behind is that the rest of the world has to wait too. Because US-based innovators don't have the connections they don't create the new applications. Japanese users don't have much use for their awesome connections now. I know, I have one.