The US produces some of the world's most cutting-edge technology. But when it comes to broadband penetration, socio-demographic and infrastructure challenges continue to set the country back.

In the latest survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the US fell from the 13th to the 15th spot in the rankings, behind other industrialized nations such as Japan, Korea, Canada and a number of European countries (Denmark ranked first with 31.9 subscribers per 100 inhabitants).

The good news is that Americans may soon be catching up. In recent years, at-home broadband connections among active internet users have grown at double-digit rates annually, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, a leading internet media and market research firm based in New York.

With the acquisitions of Marconi, Redback, Tandberg, and Entrisphere, Ericsson is well-positioned to help operators capture a bigger slice of this growing market, says Jane Zweig, the chief executive officer of The Shosteck Group, a US-based telecom consultancy.

Ericsson wanted to use the three acquisitions to boost its broadband portfolio, with an eye on the growing and evolving US market in particular.

"For Ericsson, these acquisitions were a critical move because the fixed world - or broadband providers - is not going away," Zweig says. "And because everyone wants mobility, Ericsson can strengthen its position, partly through its mobile-operator customers, and partly through the cable companies."

In the US, telcos such as AT&T and Verizon are pushing ahead to capture the emerging quadruple-play market of mobile and fixed voice, internet and television - in direct competition with cable operators. That provides opportunities both on the telco and the cable side.

But Zweig does not envision a "seamless" fixed-mobile experience for consumers any time soon. Instead, she sees the gap between the two widening in the US market.

"Fiber and cable will always deliver more than mobile can," she says. "The reality is that it may not be convergence, but more a case of divergence. Broadband technologies will always deliver more than mobile in terms of bandwidth, and end users will weave these choices into their lifestyles. Their choices, however, may be provided by one entity."