Broadband means different things to different people, many are simply happy
to be able to send the odd email, buy their insurance and save money from the
discounts for various services via online billing. The Guardian in an article
that suggests rural Yorkshire is at the front of a ‘digital spring’ has a
very different example.
KC in Hull area has a fairly small footprint compared to what BT
administers, but the work they are undertaking is perhaps an example of what
can be done when looking at local authority sized areas. KC already meets the 2
Mbps Universal Service Commitment by removing all the slow and not-spots from
their telephone network coverage area, and is also rapidly rolling out both
full fibre and partial fibre services to some 15,000 homes and businesses.
Bell Truck Services in Woodmansey (which looking at the area on our maps.thinkbroadband.com
shows people starting to report speeds well in excess of what is capable on
ADSL2+ and one user managing over 200 Mbps) has found a novel use. Helping to
guide its fleet of trucks through villages on their way to and from vehicle
recoveries. Google StreetView along with information on a trucks position
allows someone back at the office to check out a route, and help drivers avoid
the mortal sin of getting stuck in a small village centre.
One major benefit of a full fibre solution is highlighted since apparently
the business used to have problems during storms, a well known problem with
ADSL, and one that will also affect the VDSL2 (partial fibre services).
No solid commitment has been made by KC to roll-out fibre across its whole
network, a review is expected in November once feedback from the initial 15,000
homes has been shared with investors. Hopefully demand will show that there is
a good reason to continue the roll-out to cover the 250,000 properties served
by KC.
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This whole subject is completely irrelevant until such time as the BT monopoly is broken and communications are completely unbundled in the same way as gas or electricity.
Gas and electricity is delivered by a monopoly company in each area.
With CCTV everywhere and super-fast broadband, I forsee a nation of neighborhood watch pensioners, glued to the screen, and supping their tea.
Somerset – Correct because gas and electricity are natural monopolies. Any company with a transporter’s licence is specifically forbidden to sell gas or electricity or related services. NGT’s profits are very closely regulated and open to scrutiny. BT should be similarly regulated.
Its not regulated?
GMAN99 BT is “regulated” but arguably nowhere near as well as the financial services industry!! We need an infrastructure provider whose business is just that and to make such infrastructure available to all on an “open access” basis. It should be incentivised to invest in telecom infrastructure with a regulated rate of return on those investments. Pensioners, would be delighted to invest in anything with a decent interest rate. Only then will Broadband be pushed to the more remote areas and standards improve It should be forbiddden to compete with ISPs
If the financial services industry is so well regulated please explain what the headlines are at the moment about the banks and why we are in recession and the euro is collapsing