By Natasha Lomas, 23 January 2008 17:05
NEWS
Plans are afoot that could see something speeding out of the UK's sewers and into people's homes. Not a plague of rabid rats but superfast broadband.
The list from A to Z
Click on the links below to find out more...
A is for ADSL
B is for BT
C is for Cable & Wireless
D is for Dial-up
E is for Education
F is for Fibre
G is for Goonhilly
H is for HSDPA
I is for In-flight
J is for Janet
K is for Kingston
L is for Landlines
M is for Murdoch
N is for Next generation
O is for Ofcom
P is for Power lines
Q is for Quad-play
R is for Remote working
S is for Satellite phones
T is for Trains
U is for Unbundling
V is for VoIP
W is for WiMax
X is for Xbox
Y is for YouTube
Z is for Zombies
H2O Networks - a company that lays fibre cabling in the sewer - is touting the launch of its Fibrecity concept to bring up to 100Mbps broadband to UK cities.
Broadband speed is an issue of increasing concern for the UK which lags behind several European neighbours - and might therefore lose out in a fast-paced wired-up world. The UK's competitiveness minister, Stephen Timms, has said ultra fast broadband is going to be a key technology to drive future growth of the economy.
BT's forthcoming copper-based ADSL2+ technology will only offer a theoretical maximum of 24Mbps. And although the telco is dabbling with fibre - planning a rollout at a property development in Ebbsfleet, Kent - it is keen to get the most out of its existing, copper-based infrastructure - and not so keen to incur the hefty costs associated with digging up streets all over the country to lay fibre.
Click here for page 2 of this story...
Comments
There are 4 comments. Join the discussion
1. Harry Grove
You write: "Plans are afoot that could see something speeding out of the UK's sewers and into people's homes." i.e. Superfast Broadband.
And I reply: Once again there is discrimination against us rural dwellers.
Sewers ? .. .. Sewers ?
We don't have sewers; no drains at all, just septic tanks.
And, I can assure you, the traffic is all One Way !
2. anonymous
all this hype about high speed connections yet users living in remote areas are being neglected with no real plans to get them connected at a reasonable speed.
when will the millions of pounds be shared out a bit more to those that do not have, rather than those who already have a reasonable line speed.
3. misceng
100Mbps or 10Mbps it all depends on contention. The "up to" discussions elsewhere show how the consumer is shortchanged whichever technology is promoted. I left NTL cable which could have delivered some real speed but at high cost. I was on a slower service where 2Mbps was actually about 450kbps. Now I have a BT line with Sky claiming 16Mbps and delivering between 5 and 7Mbps - not perfect -but overall cost of the Sky service is less and the service has fewer failures.
4. Richard
Oh no! Spam will contaminate the sewage!
Sewage works will need upgrading.