The U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world in broadband Internet access and paying more, according to BusinessWeek. Rule changes for ISPs and warring factions in the U.S. have contributed to the problem.

An economic study group published their results this week and found that the U.S. now ranks 15th out of 30 countries in per-capita broadband subscriptions. It's a topic that has the interest of the U.S. Senate in terms of American competitiveness.

The study group, The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, shares economic statistics amongst 30 industrialized countries. Their report said that as of December 2006, only 19.6% of Americans subscribed to broadband, meaning 256 kbps or greater.

The leaders are Denmark and the Netherlands with nearly 32 percent. Worse, the U.S. is slipping. In 2001, the U.S. was 4th. Six months ago it was 12th. Now, Australia may be emerging to push the U.S. down another notch.

One culprit may be a 2005 rule change regarding how ISPs lease phone company lines. The policy has kept broadband prices high in the U.S. compared to, say, France, where one can get a service with unlimited phone calls, 93 cable TV channels, and 20 Mbps Internet service for the equivalent of about US$33/month.

The 2005 rule change in the U.S. is spurring companies to look at different technologies, such as pervasive Wi-Fi in cities and WiMax. "Making broadband more widely available at lower prices could create demand for new types of digital products, but first the warring corporate interests and the Federal Communications Commission, the nation's top telecommunications regulator, will need to agree on changes to ensure it happens," BW concluded.

Changes that make the U.S. more competitive in this area will certainly be welcomed by Apple as it seeks to make the Internet our primary source of movie entertainment, music and TV.