Broadband Bits 143
rtphokie writes "In an article covering bringing wireless and high speed internet connectivity several rural counties near Fredericksburg, VA, a county commissioner comments that transportation issues were once considered the top issue in economic development discussion, now it's the lack of high-speed Internet." Reader Darmok0685 writes "UGO has an interesting feature that explores the future of broadband, with in-depth sections that explore such technologies as Broadband Over Power Lines, WiMax, Fiber to the Home, Stratellite, and ADSL2/ADSL2+. It delves into the pros and cons, as well as giving backgrounds on each."
It is better, but... (Score:4, Informative)
From the article... (Score:5, Informative)
So lets not invest in it... heh.
Conclusions for every 'future broadband' tech from The Future of Broadband Article
The final word on Broadband Over Power Lines [ugo.com]
BPL has been given a bad wrap by many news sources. At this stage, it is really impossible to tell whether the interference complaints are legit for the actual technology as a whole, or whether they are based purely on BPL networks that were not researched or planned well enough before deployment - some reports even suggest false claims have been made to try and derail the deployment of BPL by pro-radio enthusiasts. With most information about BPL being very dated, it is hard to say what we can expect. There is nothing we can do but sit back and hope this technology can become sturdy enough for widespread deployment, because the potential is almost unmatched.
The final word on WiMax [ugo.com]
Wireless Broadband has already taken a huge step forward worldwide. Here in Australia, for example, Sydney is facing almost complete coverage in the near future from various companies adopting various technologies with DSL-like speeds and prices. However, none of the current systems seem economically viable for widespread coverage. Although true field tests have not yet confirmed the on-paper features, with backing from companies like Intel, it is hard to imagine WiMax not making a huge impact. Look out for its retail release sometime in 2005.
The final word on Fiber To the Home [ugo.com]
Whilst FTTH is by far the most impressive and feature-filled technology on display here, the likeliness of it ever reaching a wide audience isn't very high, at least not in the near future. Many leading Telco's around the world have decided to merge into a pure IP network in the near future for data and voice, which will fuel the expansion of FTTH. However, FTTH is very much viewed as a technology for new estates and areas, not necessarily current establishments. For the lucky few who will be able to use FTTH in the near future, you can probably expect Telephone, Broadband, TV and other services delivered by a conventional high-speed connection directly to your doorstop. But for the worldwide broadband scene, I wouldn't get your hopes up. It will be a very long time before this makes any sort of widespread impact if any at all.
The final word on Stratellite [ugo.com]
Probably the most "far out there" concept in this roundup, Stratellite is actually much closer to reality than what you may think. Sanswire insists it will extensively trial a real air ship in January 2005 after successfully demonstrating the technology in 2004. This is a promising technology that could combine the best of Satellite and wired Internet - fast with low latency and hugely widespread, at least in theory. Whilst it is still unclear how exactly a floating broadband hub could haul its data back down to earth wirelessly with acceptable bandwidth (keeping in mind its potential ability to serve millions of people at a time), rest assured this is a prime candidate for tomorrow's broadband world. Whether or not it will get the industry support required, however, is yet to be seen.
The final word on ADSL2 [ugo.com]
Is it too little too late for DSL? Only time will tell just how efficient ADSL2 will be at offering a better service to a wider range of customers. The impression given is that ADSL2 is really more of an add-on to the current ADSL, rather than a completely new revolution. Whilst it sounds li
High Speed? (Score:1, Informative)
Re:does broadband change a town to a city? (Score:3, Informative)
The requirement for broadband adds another factor to the equation. It adds another constraint to the choice of purchasing a house, affecting house and adjacent land prices.
Are there studies that demonstrate that broadband access results in economic growth even in rural areas?
Rural Broadband [dti.gov.uk]
Re:Whatever happened to ... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:broadband... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:It is better, but... (Score:2, Informative)
I heard that in Japan you can get a 100Mbits (http://www.odn.ne.jp/english/course/bflets/index
I'm sorry, but America complaining that other people are getting better deals with broadband is like Northern Canadians complaining they don't get enough snow because Siberea gets more.
Here in New Zealand I'm paying the equivalent of US$50 for a massive 128bit connection, that isn't even considerd broadband! I'm afraid you won't find many bleeding hearts here, given that you're paying less than double for twelve times the connection speed.
Re:Care to explain that? (Score:2, Informative)
Look at rush hour traffic and consider why it's there. It consists of a bunch of people commuting to work because their presence is required elsewhere. The number one reason most of these people can't telecommute to work is because of insufficient bandwidth. They have or they can only get or afford a dial-up connection. It would hurt productivity to telecommute while using slow speed or unreliable connections. Resolve this problem and that excuse is taken away for the employee as well as the employer. I believe that eventually rich collaboration tools will mature and make the home the preferred work environment, more productive and flexible than the typical office.
Say only 10% of the U.S. population can be taken off the roads due to more widespread viability of broadband. This, by itself, would save enough barrels of oil to match the entire fuel consumption of a dozen small countries.
I look at this as something that could be done today, whereas many alternative energy solutions, or old-school infrastructure (like roads, bridges, tunnels, etc.) depend on much larger $$$ investments, require more expensive maintenance and take a longer time to begin to pay for themselves.
Consider how much fuel money fast broadband would already save one person in the first month alone, and once out in full force how many expensive (in the billions) road projects can even be postponed or avoided.