The Broadband Paradox in Japan

This study proposes that Japan’s fixed broadband policy should redesign transparency, labeling, and incentive structures when the advertised quality of service does not match users’ experiences. Using international regulatory comparisons, speed test evidence, and a survey of 640 subscribers, the study documents chronic performance gaps, a divergence in information preferences in which more technically literate users rely less on standardized labels and behavioral patterns that may be consistent with learned helplessness, potentially dampening the demand for compensation. This study proposes a three-tiered framework to realign provider incentives and restore effective consumer protection, market discipline, and regulatory oversight.