Broadband in the US

GavinS

Interesting article about making broadband a wider issue...

They think they have it bad?!

http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svtop/broad011502.htm

dahamsta

TechNet's goal is all the more ambitious because it defines broadband -- the always-on connections that allow more sophisticated uses of the Net than dial-up access -- as 60 times faster than the current high-speed technologies commonly available to consumers through their cable or phone lines.

Yikes! These guys are pretty much talking about fibre to the kerb. And they're no lightweights either - Cisco's John Chambers and Intel's Craig Barrett are mentioned - the USG will have to take at least some notice of them.

We can but dream, eh?

adam

exdub

We can but dream, eh? adam

Ah, but remember it *is* Silicon Valley ... meanwhile, back in the real world, there's this Washington Post Letter-to-the-Editor from a man living in a suburb of Washington DC: "Where's My Broadband?" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34698-2002Jan12.html

Perhaps he and his neighbours should take a leaf from the IrelandOffline book, Adam; after all, you mightn't have yet won the war but you've certainly been waging a good battle. Congrats to all on not losing your determination!
Alice

neverhappen

In this article from the current Fortune magazine the author reckons that 802.11b is the way to go in (well, outside of) Santa Fe.

You start thinking maybe we're not that different here after all <nods in the direction of irishwan.org>, although obviously they do have DSL and cable available somewhere, but then you read that ISDN was the best they could get 3 years ago.

Its probably going to be the best that most of this country can get for 3 years to come.

SkepticOne

Originally posted by neverhappen
In this article from the current Fortune magazine the author reckons that 802.11b is the way to go in (well, outside of) Santa Fe.

An advantage of the states is that the power output is 1 wat as opposed to 100mW here. Ten times. In addition, you are allowed to focus the beam using directional antennae to get greater power in the US. You can use directional antennae here as well but the focused power still can't be greater than 100mW.

Victor

A friend in San Francisco has a 1.7MB microwave link at home (and it is affordable). OK I understand he has to share it from time to time, but still....