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.