Broadband Speed

[Benzowner]

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but saw a news article last evening and in France their broadband speed averages at 17mb ours averages at around 3. They are also looking at increasing the speed to 100mb using fibre optic cables. The advantages or disadvantage, depending on point of view, are that there are a number of broadband television channels starting up. This brodband speed is to normal users and does not cost as much as most of us currently pay.

 

[Spinal]

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but saw a news article last evening and in France their broadband speed averages at 17mb ours averages at around 3. They are also looking at increasing the speed to 100mb using fibre optic cables. The advantages or disadvantage, depending on point of view, are that there are a number of broadband television channels starting up. This brodband speed is to normal users and does not cost as much as most of us currently pay.

Most of Italy can get "Alice" - a fibre-optic leased line... cheaper than Sky's internet package.

Japan has an average speed of 100mbps; with some luckier people on gigabit lines.

England was one of the first to pioneer copper-wire telephones; as such, its cheaper to use the existing copper wires from the POTS to get the internet than to lay new wires. In most other countries, laying new wires is the priority. Countries like China are going wireless due to the cost of wire.

Look at it this way, Virgin media is deploying 20meg lines (thats 20megs, not up-to-20megs) with intention of upgrading to 50 and then 100 on their fibre/coaxial lines. England will get there... just a little slower as we as so reliant on our existing system.

If it works, don't fix it...

 

[glojo]

Oh the joys of living in the bigger towns and cities. Our exchange can allegedly go up to 8mb, but we live right on the edge of its serviceable range and are extremely lucky to sometimes get 2mb and there are numerous locations that have no broadband connection.

Cable is something that is slightly heavier than rope, but thinner than chain. In fairness to that, some of the more densely populated areas of Torquay have the option of cable tv but none of us have Channel 5 unless Sky or Freeview is available.

John

 

[Rose Chap]

Putting my IT hat on, you should bear in mind that what you're talking about is bandwidth, it doesn't always translate to 'speed'.

If you're downloading a 50 kb webpage there will be zero appreciable difference between a 1, 2, 4 or 16 megabit connection.

Its all about where the bottlenecks are on the network. If an exchange has a bandwidth of 100 Mbs and 1000 people are using it at the same time via their 8 Mb connections, then that's not as good as an exchange with a 50 Mbit connection, with 50 people using it via their 4 Mb connections.

 

[Spinal]

Its all about where the bottlenecks are on the network. If an exchange has a bandwidth of 100 Mbs and 1000 people are using it at the same time via their 8 Mb connections, then that's not as good as an exchange with a 50 Mbit connection, with 50 people using it via their 4 Mb connections.

And when your exchange is based on 10baseT coax; and has 100 users on it at any time each being sold 24mbps lines you end up just down my street

 

[crockers]

Oh the joys of living in the bigger towns and cities. Our exchange can allegedly go up to 8mb, but we live right on the edge of its serviceable range and are extremely lucky to sometimes get 2mb and there are numerous locations that have no broadband connection.

John

Dream of 2mb.......... where we live its ............... 512kb max..if we're lucky with the wind blowing from the west and the crows not sh*tting on the lines....

 

[glojo]

Putting my IT hat on, you should bear in mind that what you're talking about is bandwidth, it doesn't always translate to 'speed'.

I'm sure your right with what your talking about but your not talking about the same thing as perhaps crockers and myself. BT has stated because of the distance we are away from the exchange, the old fashioned string between us and the exchange can only cope at the speed I stated. I fully accept what your saying about numbers etc but if I were the only person connected then on a perfect day with perfect conditions I would get just under 2mb, but on a busy day then yuk........

We perhaps tend to accept that most folks have similar download speeds?

John
John

 

[NormanB]

However, the fundamental point remains.

If France can do this why can't the UK? (this is nothing to do with age of existing infrastructure). The French are installing dedicated fibre optics to deliver the bandwidth (and speed) for this new service.

 

[Cearth]

I am luck enough to live within spitting distance of my local exchange and get 7.6mB without trying........ I also work for BT and used to be on broadband ADSL etc..... The cost of putting Fibre Optic in the ground to connect domestic houses would put an end to most telecoms company's....... You want good speed... Move nearer to the exchange! Good luck.

 

[glojo]

I am luck enough to live within spitting distance of my local exchange and get 7.6mB without trying........ I also work for BT and used to be on broadband ADSL etc..... The cost of putting Fibre Optic in the ground to connect domestic houses would put an end to most telecoms company's....... You want good speed... Move nearer to the exchange! Good luck.

You speak with straight tongue and what your saying is exactly what BT told us when we asked for a better service.

John

 

[NormanB]

snip The cost of putting Fibre Optic in the ground to connect domestic houses would put an end to most telecoms company's....... You want good speed... Move nearer to the exchange! Good luck.

.....and the point still remains - how can the French do it?

 

[Spinal]

However, the fundamental point remains.

If France can do this why can't the UK? (this is nothing to do with age of existing infrastructure). The French are installing dedicated fibre optics to deliver the bandwidth (and speed) for this new service.

Some companies ARE doing it. For home users, Virgin is the only one I know of. They use a combination of Fibre optic and coaxial depending on what routers they have in their exchange.

Its just MUCH cheaper to use the existing POTS lines - once companies like Virgin will start offering their 100meg lines, the other companies will start changing over slowly.

France has government subsidies to I believe...

 

[glojo]

Some companies ARE doing it. For home users, Virgin is the only one I know of. They use a combination of Fibre optic and coaxial depending on what routers they have in their exchange.

Its just MUCH cheaper to use the existing POTS lines - once companies like Virgin will start offering their 100meg lines, the other companies will start changing over slowly.

France has government subsidies to I believe...

Your hitting the nail on the head. In the UK private companies will lay new cabling where they expect to recoup the costs, and this only works in densely populated areas.

I wonder how long it will be before we do away with any type of cabling?

John the curious

 

[crockers]

I have a friend who lives too far for any broadband so thinks my 512kb is fantastic ....its all relative...

Trouble with living next door to the exchange is that would mean moving into a big town....with neighbours...

 

[Rose Chap]

My parents live on a farm a Devon almost a mile from the nearest village, and several miles from the local exchange. As such Broadband bandwidth for them is limited to 1 Mbps.

However, due to the fact there probably aren't that many broadband users on their exchange, the actual speed of their connection is impressive.

If you think of your broadband connection as a water pipe and data flowing through it as water, having a big bore pipe means nothing if you're only getting a trickle of water from the exchange.

 

[grober]

8mbps download in your dreams1

The big "CON" was the adverts of various ISP's extolling the virtues of their "Up to 8mbps" connection speed when they knew full well that for many users the realistic speed would half that. Oh yes hidden in the small print would be their get out clause/explanation but how many potential customers read it, let alone understood. The description cheapskates comes to mind.

 

[Spinal]

Grober: there are companies offering "up to 24mbps" on the old POTS lines (using ADSL 2).

Thats why for the moment, I'm forced to stick with Virgin, even though they have appaling customer service and even worse policies! ( e.g. if you download more than 3gb between 4 and 12, your speed gets restricted!)

 

[scotth_uk]

I don't see the problem with advertising up to 8mbps - they are offering a technology capable of 8mbps, and you may not get it. No arguing with that.

If people are too stupid to read the first two words...?

You can drive up to 70mph on a motorway, except for when you cant. ;-)

 

[grober]

diplomacy?

OK OK I'll put on my diplomats hat for a moment. " In any contractual agreement between two parties where services or goods offered by one party in exchange for remuneration by the other depends on a satisfactory exchange of information concerning same, it is regrettable that any misunderstandings which may arise always result in a commercial advantage to the party supplying the initial information".

 

[scotth_uk]

Excellent