Broadband Wars: 100 Mbps down, 50 Mps up for the US

Tories may lose broadband vote was the BBC headline because they had the temerity to suggest that part of the digital dividend be used to help pay for rural voters to be able to use iplayer. Meanwhile the FCC is announcing plans for 100 million American to have 100 Mbps down and 50 Mbps up, plus Gbps links to "anchor" institutions (e.g. schools) in every community. How serious are we about staying in the global infomratin society?