broadband is better than tv...

bealtine

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4065047.stm


Broadband challenges TV viewing

Fast net access is changing the way people consume music
The number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits, research suggests.

Just over 54 million people are hooked up to the net via broadband, up from 34 million a year ago, according to market analysts Nielsen/NetRatings.

The total number of people online in Europe has broken the 100 million mark.

The popularity of the net has meant that many are turning away from TV, say analysts Jupiter Research.

It found that a quarter of web users said they spent less time watching TV in favour of the net

Price is right

The report by Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of people with fast internet access had risen by 60% over the past year.



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Broadband
The biggest jump was in Italy, where it rose by 120%. Britain was close behind, with broadband users almost doubling in a year.

The growth has been fuelled by lower prices and a wider choice of always-on, fast-net subscription plans.

"Twelve months ago high speed internet users made up just over one third of the audience in Europe; now they are more than 50% and we expect this number to keep growing," said Gabrielle Prior, Nielsen/NetRatings analyst.

"As the number of high-speed surfers grows, websites will need to adapt, update and enhance their content to retain their visitors and encourage new ones."

The total number of Europeans online rose by 12% to 100 million over the past year, the report showed, with the biggest rise in France, Italy, Britain and Germany.

TV challenged

The ability to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games is changing what people do in their spare time.


BROADBAND GROWTH IN 2004
Italy: 120%
UK: 93%
France: 70%
Switzerland: 42%
Spain: 33%
Germany: 33%
Source: Nielsen/Netratings
A study by analysts Jupiter Research suggested that broadband was challenging television viewing habits.

In homes with broadband, 40% said they were spending less time watching TV.

The threat to TV was greatest in countries where broadband was on the up, in particular the UK, France and Spain, said the report.

It said TV companies faced a major long-term threat over the next five years, with broadband predicted to grow from 19% to 37% of households by 2009.

"Year-on-year we are continuing to see a seismic shift in where, when and how Europe's population consume media for information and entertainment and this has big implications for TV, newspaper and radio," said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillian.

garthv

well tbh,i dont watch tv at all anymore ever since i got broadband.
Saying that my computer is in my bedroom and theres no tv in my bedroom but if there was i doubt id watch it anyway. Tv sucks these days

robinph

bealtine wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4065047.stm

BROADBAND GROWTH IN 2004
Italy: 120%
UK: 93%
France: 70%
Switzerland: 42%
Spain: 33%
Germany: 33%
Source: Nielsen/Netratings

How come Ireland didn't come top of that % growth list then?

jwt

robinph wrote:

How come Ireland didn't come top of that % growth list then?

Probably all a big conspiracy against eircom

ooooppps wrong thread

John

Paddy20

Yep, Television as currently available to the majority is targetted at the unthinking braindead. :eek:

eircomtribunal

robinph wrote:

How come Ireland didn't come top of that % growth list then?

Nielsen/Netrating are no longer doing surveys in Ireland.

Ireland's growth rate would indeed have dwarfed the others, but growth rate from a minimal base is meaningless. Whoever uses it as a sign of our broadband progress is deliberately fooling the public or him/herself.

The UK's growth rate is remarkable, even more remarkable is France's rate: They have a relative low Internet (not Broadband) penetration, always a bad condition for Broadband take-up. They grow their bb numbers directly with new Internet users that had no dial-up connection before. In contradiction to the gist of the "bb is bad for tv" conclusion in the thread starter article, the French grow their bb by offering tv channels (and telephony) on the dsl lines. A roll-out of 15 Mb dsl at very low prices has just started and will have substantial coverage by the end of 2005.

P.

bealtine

eircomtribunal wrote:

the French grow their bb by offering tv channels (and telephony) on the dsl lines. A roll-out of 15 Mb dsl at very low prices has just started and will have substantial coverage by the end of 2005.

P.

Just to add to eircomtribunal's post.
The offering in question is 15Mb and it costs 29.99 and includes the "modem".

See www.free.fr

eircomtribunal

Italy is not quite as cheap as France, but Ireland might still achieve the long stated gov goal of becoming the first country in Europe to offer widespread, affordable 5 Mb Internet access. Just like France Italy does not seem to bother with offering 5 MB.
http://abbonati.tiscali.it/adsl/


According to the sick broadband pricing table in the latest Forfas report, Ireland is at place number 5 and Italy at place 20 for cost of Broadband access!

P.

OfflerCrocGod

eircomtribunal wrote:

According to the sick broadband pricing table in the latest Forfas report, Ireland is at place number 5 and Italy at place 20 for cost of Broadband access!

Ye that's true, Italy has no hope of competing with our 12Mbps offerings. God I want to cry