ISPs -- Grrr...

[Twister]

Why is the major ISPs like Comcast, Version, and Time Warner not implement any of the newer data-transferring technologies? I have a wireless card that runs at 1 Gpbs, but my internet connection is at a miserable 11 Mbps down. I won't even mention the upstream. :red

It would be nice to see that they do this at no charge to their customers. I estimate that it would probably only take a cut of 5% of their profits. Then again, maybe I'm being too hard on them -- 4% of their profits. :lol


What do you all think about this?

[vanjast]

You're lucky.. down here we get ripped off for a measily 384Kbs.. a monopoly, that need to be broken.  :tdown

[Twister]

Computers a getting faster; Ethernet cards are getting faster; wireless cards are getting faster.

But yet we have speeds that can not fulfil these speeds. Not only that, but we are lagging behind other developed countries. Their average speeds are double to triple our national average. What happened with us being on top; the innovators, what happened?

"About 15 percent of Americans still use dial-up to connect to the Internet ..." <http://www.betanews.com/article/US-Internet-speeds-still-slow-compared-to-the-rest-of-the-world/1218831113>

[dedndave]

if you look at it from the ISP's perspective, i think "speed" is in the overhead part of their profit equation
bandwidth is in the cost part
at the end of the day, the bandwidth you use (or don't use) has more of an effect on their profit margin than speed
this applies in cumulative form - it is the total bandwidth of all users at any given moment that costs them profits
you can see how faster connections could cause them problems
the ideal situation for them is a constant total bandwidth - far from reality

[Twister]

It could be a government funded project that can help with the fundamental American -- uhhh -- pioneering. Yes, that's it; networking is fundamental to our pioneering spirit.

The government should just be helping pay for the laying of the newer pipes and cables and that is it, period.

[Gunner]

So you think we all should have a T3 or a E5 directly to our houses at a cheap price (That would be awesome)?  C'mon this is a capitalistic country now, you want a big pipe they make you pay for it.  Although it is PITIFUL many countries pay more attention to technology than we do and give their citizens bigger pipes... 

[Twister]

It would or it may be against our capitalistic ways by a fraction, but it would create jobs, and along with advancing us into the future. And, I don't mean to include job creation into this. It's just what everyone wants to hear.

And in times like this, making a few changes in our system doesn't sound too bad right now.


Yes, T1 cables linked up directly to each household would more than awesome.

[dedndave]

you must be a RPG gamer - lol
most businesses of signifigant size already have fast stuff
the demand in the private sector just isn't there - mom and pop don't need fast to check their email and lottery tickets
the exception to this would be web servers, of course
if you're in that business, you probably have fast, too
ok, ok - the porno servers can afford speed as well as anyone

that leaves the gamers - stuck in the middle   :P
low speed and high demand

i swear, there is money to be made by someone willing to properly design games that do not require so much bandwidth

[NPNW]

You also have to take in protocol overhead.
Ethernet is cheap, but can only use about 30% of total bandwidth. Talked to a friend at a 5000 person college, 60% of network traffic was ARP routing.

[hutch--]

I currently get about 1.6 meg / second here depending on the server load at the other end, I can if I want download free to air TV at about a half gig in less than 5 minutes. Its a souped up version of DSL, what we call here ADSL2+ but there has been big debate here in OZ about a national broadband network that the federal government is committed to, its talking about 100 mbit with the option of gigabit on the same optic fibre network. It is being fought tooth and nail by the conservative opposition and at least some of the independent ISPs.

Sad to say the same government also wants to politically filter the internet by secret and arbitrary means and it remains in limbo as the greens and opposition oppose the filtering. They try and justify it with the same old bullsh*t, pornographic child terrorists sitting in front of a heater increasing the global carbon foorprint but it is not washing with most people here who see it for what it is, political control of the internet. Criticise something the government does and BINGO, your site is blocked in secret.

[Twister]

Uh oh, Hutch, you might what to be careful about that last sentence.  :lol

[clive]

Yes, T1 cables linked up directly to each household would more than awesome.

Let's just recover the copper, and trench in fiber. Doesn't carry electrical power well, but people are migrating from land lines to cell phones anyhow.

Certainly the type of shovel ready infrastructure investment that makes at lot of sense right now.

[Bill Cravener]

Here in PA the bigger cities where they have fiber optic laid Verizon offers a service they call Fios. I doubt it will ever get here where I live. Most all phone, electric and cable are still strung across poles here. Would love to have it though. Fios handles Internet access, telephone, and television service all on the same fiber cable. Cost, $100 a month for all three services.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_FiOS

[clive]

FiOS is one of the things I was thinking about with the fiber comment, but what rates are they quoting for $100? 15/5 + other services? I think Horton wants the 150/35 ($200) deal. The local fiber guys are talking about 1 Gbps, but you're going pay through the nose for a fiber drop, and monthly service.

Verizon bailed on the land lines here, pushing them off to Frontier, basically going all-in on wireless. Lot of the infrastructure is on poles, so when the trees fall or the dump truck hits them, you get the electric/cable/phone all going down, so the emergency contact issues with fiber aren't that much worse. I think those things are significantly mitigated be the prevalence of cell service, although clearly there are going to be places where that sucks.

The telcos need to do something, DSL is pretty much limited to 3 Mbps, or 1.5 Mbps on the longer runs. The cable cos are spanking them with 50 Mbps offerings, admittedly at higher pricing, but even on equivalent up/down plans. The Telcos need to catch up, or may be this is the time they should be unified seeing as the services are now becoming more or less the same thing. They need to be focusing on fiber, and upgrading the infrastructure or they are going to die. As much as I hate monopolies, I can't see ComCast+Frontier both succeeding in this market, sooner or later one provider is going to lose critical mass and stall.

WiMax is not working out, my friend in Madison WI said they were abandoning that market, his service had been alright, but other had lots of problems.

[NPNW]

government is helping pay for upgrade to the network. Small towns in Iowa are getting fiber to the home, probably partially funded by the Stimulas. Town has 1200 people.