Broadband communications have become the most important focus in the current evolution of the Internet. But there is a significant difference in the broadband performance of different countries, raising critical issues about the United States, Japan and Korea, and the European Union. The United States gave rise to the Internet, but ranks eleventh in global broadband penetration. Japan and Korea lead the world in broadband penetration, and yet neither country dominates the global information and communications industry. The European Union has developed an effective new regulatory framework for electronic communications, yet follows both Asia and the United States. Global Broadband Battles explains these issues while analyzing the dynamic drivers of the broadband industry, including many of the technologies involved.