we need to get a wiggle on here

[mbossman2]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/12/14/EDGOULJ5TB1.DTL?sid=BAC-spot3

The second wave of the Internet Revolution is upon us, but is America ready?

Based on the current growth and availability of household bandwidth speeds and quality, the answer is clearly no. Household bandwidth demand continues to increase and is expected to reach approximately 1.1 terabits per month per household by 2010 in the United States. For comparison, 20 of these homes would generate more traffic than the entire Internet of 1995. However, the demand is not being met by increasing supply.

[enhanced08]

50mb connections?? For the normal home user, why would you need that? what files are you downloading that are that big??? Linux iso's maybe but thats pretty much a one-time thing. Sure it would be nice to have, but I dont think its needed, not yet anyway. Im happy with my 6mb cable connection, if it had a higher upload speed it would be better but even thats not bad (i average about 50kb/s upload). Plus since its an "always on connection" if I have a large file I need to upload, I start uploading and goto bed or go do something else.

Maybe the faster speeds would make a difference in the video area. There seems to be a number of video sites like youtube popping up. The problem is gonna be the webservers tho, they wont be able to keep up with user's connections and we will be no better off.

Just my .02

[rspassey]

Webserver limits are what I feel need to be changed. I understand the growth of broadband demand, and sure, I wouldn't mind a faster connection, but after a series of scripts and database connections and so on, some websites take 10 seconds to load at times.

[mbossman2]

the vision of the larger networking providers (and Charlie Giancarlo certainly works for one of the biggest) is that the broadband pipe will not just provide internet access (like what we think of today):

Your TV will come down that pipe
your video on demand will come down that pipe
You voice traffic
your video calls
etc etc etc

so a large pipe will be necessary. Look at the move from 14.4 all the way up to 5-6-10mbps (or more), that didn't take very long + there is a lot of content out there that demands a big fat pipe (ie Call of Duty 2 demo - 600+meg, downloadable films in the multi-gigabyte range and the like, never mind the commercial and business applications)

[Floppyman]

Time to invest in Fiber Optic companies..;) I certainly think Verizon for one is taking the right approach with their FiOS broadband service. I also thought AT&T is pursuing TV over IP -- I know M$ is pursuing it as well. We already have fiber lines running through neighbordhoods -- why not take it all the way to the door everywhere? I think that's where things need to ultimately need to head. For those of you that know more, what should the government do or not do to help make it become a reality?

[IntegraGSR]

Wasn't there a test done over in Europe touting the fastest transfer speeds ever over a network using FO? Some hundreds of gigabits per second?

My Internet connection gets bogged down often from heavy usage (though it might be the router) and I have to constantly reset it. I think asynchronous connections should be instituted for fair prices.

[rspassey]

Time to invest in Fiber Optic companies..;) I certainly think Verizon for one is taking the right approach with their FiOS broadband service. I also thought AT&T is pursuing TV over IP -- I know M$ is pursuing it as well. We already have fiber lines running through neighbordhoods -- why not take it all the way to the door everywhere? I think that's where things need to ultimately need to head. For those of you that know more, what should the government do or not do to help make it become a reality?


We use FO for our internet connection. Apparently, the implementations of FO here has gotten JEA (the ISP) international recognition.

[mbossman2]

For those of you that know more, what should the government do or not do to help make it become a reality?

that is the $64,000 question.

We live in a free market economy. Exactly how much the government (and private sector) can and should do is the big question

[Stuey]

I don't remember where I read this (it could have been in this forum where someone was complaining that all they can get is dialup), but don't a lot of areas have fiber layed down that is yet to be activated?

I have no idea how the infrastructure works, but isn't it a complicated process to increase the bandwidth or add new data lines?

[mbossman2]

there is a lot of fiber laid but in many cases it wasn't laid with a plan in mind: had a trench? put some fiber in it.

one of the problems in the infrastructure necessary to support this level of bandwidth (it's expensive) the other issue is population density....it is easy to upgrade Manhattan or Chicago or other metro areas but when you get out of those areas, the number of available customers per quare mile drops off quite a bit making the upgrades more per user than in a metro area.

[HAL9000]

50mb connections?? For the normal home user, why would you need that? what files are you downloading that are that big??? Linux iso's maybe but thats pretty much a one-time thing. Sure it would be nice to have, but I dont think its needed, not yet anyway. Im happy with my 6mb cable connection, if it had a higher upload speed it would be better but even thats not bad (i average about 50kb/s upload). Plus since its an "always on connection" if I have a large file I need to upload, I start uploading and goto bed or go do something else.

Maybe the faster speeds would make a difference in the video area. There seems to be a number of video sites like youtube popping up. The problem is gonna be the webservers tho, they wont be able to keep up with user's connections and we will be no better off.

Just my .02

I'll tell you who needs that connection.... not the home user... ADVERTISERS!!!!... With ads becoming more and more like TV commercials, they need the bandwidth to cram it into your face bigger, badder and faster than ever.

[786ARS]

I'll tell you who needs that connection.... not the home user... ADVERTISERS!!!!... With ads becoming more and more like TV commercials, they need the bandwidth to cram it into your face bigger, badder and faster than ever.

I rue the day that even with all my ad blockers and suchlike, It will still take longer to load the ads than the actual content you want...oh, wait, its already happened.

....it is easy to upgrade Manhattan or Chicago or other metro areas...

Then why haven't they done London and the surrounding counties :(

[David M]

Speed is good. I welcome competition to cable and satellite. Competition is good for driving prices down...always.

I don't think this is a good time to invest in telecommunications companies or any time in the near future. There is too much competition in that sector. Have a look at the PM's. Communications is a commodity and no one company has a distinct advantage over another.

[alfie2]

Internet backbone uses OC192s FO connections, there is plenty of Bandwith for expansion.
To get an idea of how FAST is OC192:

T-1 - 1.544 megabits per second
OC-192 - 9.6 gigabits per second ( or 6400 X T1)

remember this: one backbone router, alone can contains 5-7 OC192s boards.
large backbone providers have hundreds of this routers running as of now.

ADSL lines from your home goes to a DSLAM which handles a set numbers of homes/lines
the aggregate total of all the ADSL lines is shared on one to two T3(about 28x T1) - 43Mbps which handles 200-400 ADSL lines depends on service provider.
which means,in actuality, about 10-30 ADSL lines share one T1 speed or worse.

fiber optic/communications companies:
alcatel-lucent
jds uniphase
nothern telecom or nortel

router company:
ciso
juniper networks

[Stuey]

There was a commercial on the other day which made me think of this thread. Optimum Online is offering its "Boost" service for an extra $9.95 a month for 30 mbit/sec speeds.

I doubt they can sustain those speeds for every single customer, but it's good to know that the extra bandwidth is readily available if desired. Then again, Brooklyn/NYC is a very densely populated area so the infrastructure cost to profit ratio is probably very favorable.

[glc]

Comcast isn't charging extra for boost. I've seen 24 mbps on a speed test on a 6 mbps line.