However there is a grain of truth in here - while Europe had MUCH higher internet / phone / cable costs 10 years ago, from what I've learned from my friends over there the price has dropped dramatically. While 'regular' plans are comparable to US plans, the budget operators are incredibly cheap.
It's been a similar situation in Australia. We had incredibly high costs, and for many years the value of our internet went BACKWARDS - as the price went up, our data was also heavily restricted. However that trend finally reversed and it's much better value now. When I left Australia I had a 200gb 100mbit internet plan with a home line for $78 a month (and that included a cable modem).
I have to say I was pretty shocked at how poor the choice and value is in the US after moving here, particularly in Silicon Valley. Fast internet (> 30mbit) is incredibly unaffordable, and there is huge pressure to have to bundle with cable TV (which I don't want or need).
And what's up with the phone plans here?! The only reason I'm not absolutely screaming about it is I'm on a shared plan with my wife - if I were trying to get a phone just for myself the costs would be insane.
The biggest kicker is trying to find a good prepaid with data SIM - in Australia you can walk into any 7-11 and buy a SIM card for $2 and then get on a $2/day unlimited phone/data prepaid plan (i.e. you just charge up and then every day you use it another $2 is taken off your tab). There is NOTHING like that here.
I'm not sure if it's because of a lack of competition or what - in Australia all networks are now (roughly) compatible with each other, so if you buy a phone on one network it'll work on another. Then you have many many resellers who buy the network access wholesale from the big providers and then resell it. Same for the internet market. That's the only thing I can think of - the US needs to get this happening ASAP.