I don't Adamson and Eva it! - INQUIRER rhyming slang
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Superfast broadband is not yet here
A REPORT by Point Topic shows that superfast broadband, which it calls 'superband' - a term that was doubtlessly coined by some marketing dweeb on drugs - is falling behind schedule in the UK.
While there are already 30 different high-speed broadband projects active, there are only 3,000 connections up and running in UK homes. Yes, that works out to an average of only 100 homes per project.
Point Topic defines superfast broadband as connections with download speeds of 25Mbps and above at mass-market prices. It was initially scheduled to roll out to over two million homes by the end of 2010 but that figure is far off, with coverage of less than one per cent so far.
The services are currently provided by smaller vendors offering alternatives to mass retail but the analyst outfit expects the bigger fish like BT and Virgin to catch up soon.
The UK's numbers remain modest. "Compare our 3,000 lines with what's happening abroad," suggests Tim Johnson, chief analyst at Point Topic. "In Sweden, for example, they've been working on superfast fibre for the home since 2005. Now the Swedes have got about 1.2 million superband lines, that's 38 per cent of all their broadband. Meanwhile we're standing at less than one fiftieth of one percent in Britain."
Britain has also made a slower start than Point Topic forecast although the shortfall could be made up quite quickly. "Our latest forecast was for 80,000 superband lines by the end of 2010," says Johnson. "That looks more of a stretch now but it's still within reach."
Despite his cheery optimism, we're pretty sure that target won't be reached, however. µ
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First you mention 'super' broadband is defined as 25Mbit and up, then you compare to swedish fiber, that's a bit daft isn't it? Swedish fiber is 100mbit and up, and 25Mbit isn't even 'super' in most of the world anyway.
Also how come there's no mention of upload bandwidth? I mean they (politicians) want to have broadband to boost productivity and competitiveness and what not, but for that you need a decent upload speed too, assuming they don't just mean people need to consume data coming in, not to mention the much mentioned online storage and such things require a decent upload speed too, and even a simple uploading of a HD video to vimeo/youtube needs it.
I find it odd that in most of the world you still have to dig through sites of ISP's to even find the upload speed specifications.
@Tom
they might be throttling youtube, i know it's been struggling for me the past week or so. Can't really pin down where the problem actually is to problem apply blame though.
As for downloads in general, i find my 20mb cable will tend to max out at 10megs or so (1mb/sec) for a single download, but will easily hit the full 20 (~2mb/sec) if you use a multi-threaded downloader and download using 3-4 concurrent connections.
Easier to hit the daily BW throttle that way though ;)
They traffic-manage ten shades of svit out of the lower tiers. I'm paying for 20MBPS and regularly achieving 10. I'd switch to 10MBPS since then I'd be "getting what I'm paying for" but of course I get around 5MBPS then.
I can't stand it! Enough of this "maximum speed" rubbish. You know I think they intentionally leave any connections you make to speed-testing servers unthrottled, so it *looks* like you're getting fast internet. Anyone confirm this? I can hardly watch a Youtube video on my 20 Meg, but I'm receiving vaguely 12-18MBPS? I don't buy it.
Traffic management does not apply to the 50Mb package (Yet !!).
Virgin do however manage the lower tiers very heavily and will probably apply the traffic scheme to the 50Mb package soon.
What about this in there website;
"Acceptable Use Policy applies. Traffic Management operates from 4pm to 9pm and 10am to 3pm to ensure a consistent user experience. "
They are the best ISP but there is no such thing as no fair use in the UK.
Virgin offer 50Mbps broadband to some areas. Its not subject to a Fair Usage Policy either. £28 per month assuming you take on their phone line.
I'm guessing this isn't counted in the report.
Shame, poor UK. In South Africa we get an amazing 4Mb (Max), if you can afford it. The majority of those who actually have internet at all are running 384Kb lines. The joys of a monopoly ;(
You hit the nail on the head with that one, if you use what you pay for you get punished and your service level and product is decreased.
Its just your typical british scenario.. Wait to Buy somthing that comes out months if not years after everyone else, with less features and older tech and pay twice for the privilidge.
What a fucking Liberty
Or your connection gets throttled, because you're using too much bandwidth. Actually using what you paid for is called "unfair use".
So you get your "superfast" (ie, a quarter of the speed Japan has had for years now, and 1/40th the speed of Singapore) broadband. And you download a movie in 25 minutes. And then ten minutes after that youre disconnected for "illegal downloading".
We should all go back to dialup.