Why Switzerland has 25 gbit internet and America doesn't
Claims that Switzerland offers widely available 25 Gbit/s fiber while much of the US still struggles with slow, expensive broadband prompt a broader look at how infrastructure is built and regulated. Commenters contrast Switzerland’s model of publicly coordinated, shared last‑mile fiber with the US patchwork of private monopolies, heavy lobbying, and legal barriers to municipal networks, while noting that extreme speeds like 25 Gbit/s are still niche even in Switzerland. Population density and geography are frequently cited as partial explanations, but many argue the core issue is political will and market structure rather than technical or physical constraints.
Scope of Swiss vs US Internet
- Many argue the key difference is structure, not raw technology: Swiss last‑mile fiber is treated as shared infrastructure, with multiple ISPs competing over it; US last‑mile is typically privately owned, often yielding monopolies/duopolies.
- Several note this is a classic “natural monopoly” case: it’s wasteful to trench multiple physical networks, so regulation should make the pipe shared and competition service‑level.
- Others push back that the US is far larger and sparser, making universal fiber 8× less economical per household.
Population Density, Geography, and Scale
- One camp stresses US size and low average density, especially exurbs and rural areas, as major cost drivers.
- Critics call this a red herring: most Americans live in cities/suburbs comparable to Europe; examples like New Jersey, Massachusetts, Spain, Sweden, and rural fiber co‑ops show good networks are possible in large or sparse regions.
- Some distinguish physical difficulty (mountains, packed ducts) from political difficulty (permitting, regulation, corruption).
Regulation, “Free Market,” and Capture
- Many say the US broadband market is not truly “free”: franchise rules, right‑of‑way control, pole access, and bans on municipal broadband create legal moats for incumbents.
- Others argue over‑regulation, not under‑regulation, is the problem; counter‑arguments blame regulatory capture and ideology hostile to public infrastructure.
- Examples from Switzerland, New Zealand, Spain, and parts of Australia are cited as variants of “single or shared physical network, many ISPs.”
Speed, Price, and Actual Needs
- Several note that 25 Gbps is available but uncommon in Switzerland and in a few US regions (Ziply, GFiber, Sonic, UTOPIA, etc.).
- Many users say 500 Mbps–1 Gbps is already more than enough; bottlenecks are Wi‑Fi, SSDs, remote servers, or peering, not last‑mile speed.
- Others value cheap symmetric gigabit as transformative (large game downloads, datasets, self‑hosting), even if 25 Gbps is mostly aspirational.
Data and Anecdotes
- Speedtest data reportedly shows similar average fixed speeds for US and Switzerland; commenters warn of sampling bias (people test mainly when connections are bad).
- Thread contains many anecdotes: excellent rural fiber via co‑ops, terrible NYC/Spectrum experiences, high‑speed but pricey or asymmetric plans in various countries.
Meta‑Debate and Nationalism
- Some dismiss the article as clickbait, anti‑US, or oversimplified; others say it highlights a real US “capitalism crisis” of weak competition.
- Recurrent tension between “America is uniquely hard” explanations and accusations of “cope” and defeatism.