Faster networks seek killer apps

The United States, once a leader in broadband technology, has fallen behind. Eleven countries can boast higher average broadband speeds, according to Akamai´s latest State of the Internet report. But if you´re lucky enough to live in a Cleveland neighborhood near Case Western Reserve University, things look different. The 104 homes there are wired with optical fiber in an experimental network that provides impressive 1-gigabit-per-second uploads and downloads. Five other cities- Chattanooga, Tenn.; Lafayette, La.; Philadelphia; Salt Lake City; and Washington, D.C.- have similar broadband experiments providing between 100-megabit-per-second and 1-Gb/s connections to schools, businesses, and homes.