Americans are paying high prices for poor quality Internet speeds — speeds that are now slower than in other countries, according to author David Cay Johnston. He says the U.S. ranks 29th in speed worldwide.
“We’re way behind countries like Lithuania, Ukraine and Moldavia. Per bit of information moved, we pay 38 times what the Japanese pay,” Johnston tells Fresh Air’s Dave Davies. “If you buy one of these triple-play packages that are heavily advertised — where you get Internet, telephone and cable TV together — typically you’ll pay what I pay, about $160 a month including fees. The same service in France is $38 a month.”
In his new book, The Fine Print: How Big Companies Use “Plain English” to Rob You Blind, Johnston examines the fees that companies — such as cellphone and cable — have added over the years that have made bills incrementally larger.
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