broadband internet doesn't seem to be going anywhere...

[NewSc2]

I think broadband speeds are fine for now - pages load up quickly and streaming video is almost realtime. The demand for faster internet connections is probably very, very low.

 

[Cholo]

It's still in research, but this shows that development is going on and new things are in the pipeline. Has anyone kept up with the IP-over Electrical stuff going on? It promises alot, too.

 

[NokiaDude]

I think it'll be about 20 years until the companies decide to scrap their old coaxial connections to their consumer and we'll then start to see our "cable" modems connected to OC-3 lines on a huge fiber based (I mean HUGE) backbones. I'd love to use fiber cording instead of Cat-5e cables. Just so much cooler looking!

 

[LordRaiden]

Originally posted by: NokiaDude
I think it'll be about 20 years until the companies decide to scrap their old coaxial connections to their consumer and we'll then start to see our "cable" modems connected to OC-3 lines on a huge fiber based (I mean HUGE) backbones. I'd love to use fiber cording instead of Cat-5e cables. Just so much cooler looking!

Well, that shouldn't be too hard considering that 95% of the fiber laid in the US alone is dark fiber. AKA it hasn't been turned on because they have no need for it to be turned on. Others are from companies who went under after laying all their fiber. So the backbone is there. They shouldn't have to lay any new stuff. Just make good use of what they already have left over from the internet boom. So with the newer technologies allowing for groups of fiber and bundles to all be joined together as one huge pipe, this I don't see as a problem at all. Now all we gotta do is convince all the companies stalling the growth of broadband to stop fighting it and start promoting it.

 

[LordRaiden]

Oh, did I also mention, RIAA, MPAA, and all of the major media companies are against broadband and are one of the big things stalling its advance? That's because they want to stop broadband all they can for fear of someone stealing their garbage off the internet.

 

[aircooled]

$20 a month is the magic number. When they reach that number most everyone will get it.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: Yzzim
<--- still stuck with 56k, no broadband here for another 2-3 years.

direcPC, if you have the bucks spring for the dual dish for good upload speed as well...

 

[LAUST]

well, I can't say the economy sucks cause everyone gets in an uproar, but the technology economy sucks for sure.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: LAUST
well, I can't say the economy sucks cause everyone gets in an uproar, but the technology economy sucks for sure.

I was in 1 of only TWO of qwests cities (Highlands Ranch, CO/Pheonix, AZ to get Vdsl (1/1 Internet, Cable TV, Long Distance and local fone all on ONE line for $85) Qwest is out of cash now, they are not running any more Fiber to support it. And damnit WHY, EVERYONE in my area would shoot you in the street before you could disconnect their service... (Fine shutoff my heat I don't care, LEAVE THE VDSL!!!)

Comcast bought ATT Broadband and promised all kinds of new service, I have yet to see anything new as far as service (But they are jacking the prices up for the SAME service), and my friends are still stuck with a pathetic upload on their cable.

And me, still on ripoff ADSL now because that is all I can get at my new house 640/256, I can go higher but the prices are mind boggling ($108 for 1/1)

I used to do support for VDSL, I envied you bastards.



Viper GTS

 

[csiro]

Originally posted by: LordJezo
STFU all of you ninnys complaining about 128kbps being too slow.

In my town the fastest the phone lines allow are 28.8 modems. No 56k, heck, 33.6 wont even work on the lines.

No dsl, or dsl planned anytime soon, and cable modems are only one way with a 28.8 upstream needed by using an extra phone line, plus they charge you by the meg so no one uses it anyway.

There's always satellite. Costs around $100 a month though for 2 way.

 

[Hammer]

yeah it is kinda wierd. a faster modem speed came about every couple of years back during dialup, now everything is just stuck.

 

[BillGates]

I want to move to Sweden .... It sounds like they have a great network infrastructure there with 10Mbit connections all over the place for residential usage. Plus there are the hot chicks...

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Originally posted by: joohang
I suppose it won't change much until Internet2 hits "mainstream."

internet2 will not be for consumer consumption.

 

[IGBT]

I know a lot of people that dumped BB and went back to dialup. BB's to expensive and there's not a whole lot of BB content. Not everybody needs a super fast connection. I'd like to see mabe 100k variant of BB for those of us that don't need the speed...

 

[LAUST]

Man, it was AWESOME too

 

[n0cmonkey]

I think the whole dot com thing kind of killed the "we will give away our product and figure out how to make money later" idea.

EDIT: BTW, there is plenty of dark fiber in some areas, look into purchasing some of it. Be the first on your block to have your own fiber connection.

 

[ATLien247]

DSL has been available in my area for a while, but I am too far away from the CO. Wireless just recently became available, but they want $70/month for 512/512 + $200 for installation. Comcast now finally offers cable internet to my neighborhood, so I'm going to see how that goes. Anything's better than dial-up, right?

Unfortunately, with the economy the way it is now, companies are hesitant to invest more money to expand their infrastructure. The technology is available to allow for further distances and higher speeds, but it costs money to implement it. The ROI is still there, although not quite as large as before, but we all know how cable companies and telcos work... gouging their customers at every chance!

:|

 

[SgtBuddy]

Originally posted by: LordRaiden

Originally posted by: NokiaDude
I think it'll be about 20 years until the companies decide to scrap their old coaxial connections to their consumer and we'll then start to see our "cable" modems connected to OC-3 lines on a huge fiber based (I mean HUGE) backbones. I'd love to use fiber cording instead of Cat-5e cables. Just so much cooler looking!

Well, that shouldn't be too hard considering that 95% of the fiber laid in the US alone is dark fiber. AKA it hasn't been turned on because they have no need for it to be turned on. Others are from companies who went under after laying all their fiber. So the backbone is there. They shouldn't have to lay any new stuff. Just make good use of what they already have left over from the internet boom. So with the newer technologies allowing for groups of fiber and bundles to all be joined together as one huge pipe, this I don't see as a problem at all. Now all we gotta do is convince all the companies stalling the growth of broadband to stop fighting it and start promoting it.

It is funny trying to argue to people that dark fiber exists. They just don't understand. I took a look at my network usage over the past year. Averaging 0.3 percent bandwidth utilization. We have GigE to the desktop. 7000+ nodes. I think it spiked to like 7% when we tested VoIP and standing up a streaming video server.

Let's use what we got and not worry about upgrading.