I think one of the greatest examples you referenced was Australia. Its government made a clear decision to do a country-wide rollout of broadband and to support it financially. That was done to provide the critical infrastructure that forms the background of e-commerce and innovative technologies.
Australia has the same challenges as Canada, with its geography and its widely spread population. Broadband is not an inexpensive proposition, but there are a number of people throughout the globe who feel it's just as important as electricity, just as important as roads for transportation. They believe these broadband networks are becoming the transportation of the future.