I have to agree here. The U.S. is in the unique role of being HUGE and trying to be on the cutting edge with wireless networks, which isn't easy. Japan, for instance, has a tiny landmass making network deployment easier and cheaper (similar to Euro countries). This seems to be the greatest reason why technologies in these countries are more advanced.
Now if the EU had to standardize on one network by virtually one carrier, I wonder how the development rate would compare to the US?
But I also agree with the fact that US regulatory policies are at times barriers for advancement.