Forget 2mb broadband, how about 4G mobile?
Mobile is going bonkers right now. The Palm Pre getting some good reviews, and the big one, the iPhone 3G 2009 coming in the next few weeks (we hope).
The Digital Britain report and a whole load of media reporting is focused on providing 2mb wired broadband for everyone in the country, and the BBC had a big piece on excatly this last week.
Now, as most of you know, I am disgusted at the way the UK is so behind in terms of infrastructure, but I am just starting to think about something …. If the UK becomes so focused on wired broadband with a massive weight placed upon companies like Virgin and BT, we may be missing a trick.
What is really happening in terms of web trends?
Mobile is happening, and it is not going away. So, rather than getting broadband fixed, what about getting the networks sorted out. Perhaps 3, Orange, Vodafone and O2 et al should be getting some heat, and help in progressing a really fast 4G service?
The future is phones, smartphones, tablets, touchpads, netbooks – all portable devices which want to feed off fast networks. People want access from wherever they are, and not have to wait an age for email and web access.
So, forget broadband, and that paltry 2mb, lets get 4G and 5G up and running. What do you think?
“Why is Hull a Broadband Blackhole?”
It’s a very good questions isn’t it? And one which is starting to irritate me more and more.
My friend James was kind enough to send me a link to the article on the Guardian Website, entitled exactly that.
“We are missing out on super deals offered by companies such as Orange and Sky,” say the 3,222 signatories of a petition lodged on the No 10 website earlier this year. “Scrap the monopoly that Kingston Communications hold in Hull for broadband users.”
The fact is, that Kingston Communications and not BT own the phonelines, so that means we, the residents only get one choice of ISP, Karoo. So, a monopoly. This is denied by KC, but the fact that a) no companies are offering alternative services and b) they charge very high prices for anyone showing an interest to providing a new service, means that nothing is going to change.
What makes me laugh is that Karoo is emblazoned on the Hull Football Team’s shirts, seen around the country on TV and in the national media. What is the point of advertising a service which is only available in Hull to people who don’t want it? I really do question their marketing, and whoever is doing the job of brand manager needs to have a plan in place 
As to WiFi, which is the other thing the article mentions:
Wi-Fi access in the city is also notoriously tricky to find. While neighbours in Leeds and Sheffield can sip and surf in their Starbucks, forget it in Hull. And its Wetherspoons remain the company’s only pubs in Britain without wireless internet. Paul Burman, area chairman for Hull’s chamber of commerce, says Hull needs a “good, core Wi-Fi area in the two square miles across the city centre”. It is left to McDonald’s, in a city with startling obesity levels, to install free Wi-Fi in all its branches.
it is non-existent. When will Hull and to be fair, the rest of the Uk realise that online connectivity at decent speeds is the way forward. Hull is never going to dig itself out of a business wilderness unless it invests in broadband (same for the rest of the Uk as well!).
KC COULD, and it is a big COULD, really take the lead and install fibre to the home for the whole of the area served by Karoo – great publicity, raises the city profile and means that businesses may find it a little more attractive.
Come on KC, pull you finger out and do us all a BIG favour.
Total and Utter Madness
orbitsville Stockholm Broadband Speed, originally uploaded by JonnyMoss.
Just check out the speed of the web here in Stockholm, Sweden. I’ve been travelling since Tuesday and have had not a lot of time at all for blogging, but lots to come soon, well, next week some time!
Very impressed with Sweden and everyone at orb has been so friendly and welcoming! 
Virgin Media Cable Modem
Virgin Media Cable Modem, originally uploaded by JonnyMoss.
Not only is this modem looking smokin’ cool, but it also supports up to 50mb/s!
The full details of this most marvellous thing can be found on TechRadar here > click .
Calling Karoo, Hull’s wonderful ISP – I guess you won’t be in need of this for a while eh? Ever?!
Is Karoo going to invest in fibre optic technology?!
I’m worried. Really worried.
There has been some amazing news for the UK today – well done BT!
BT today announced plans to spend £1.5bn building a super-fast broadband network across the UK over the next four years.
The plan would connect 10m homes, around 40% of the UK, to a new fibre-optic based network and replace the copper wires that link most homes today.
This could, rather will, completely transform people’s internet experience, and finally give the UK the internet infrastructure it really needs to be on par with other areas of the world (Japan / Korea).
BT’s plan for faster broadband will involve laying fibre directly to new homes as they are built, called fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP). At other sites, it will lay fibre most of the way to the home, called fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC).
FTTP will provide the highest speeds, up to 100 megabits per second. FTTC, which is slower because of the copper wire link between cabinet and home, will initially offer up to 40Mbps.
100mb per second! Now we’re talking Can you imagine that sort of speed? Nope, neither can I, but I sure would like to experience it!
All good news then? This is why I am worried.
Well, erm, no. Not for us poor souls living in and around Hull. For those of you who don’t know our misery, just imagine this…… you can only have one broadband provider. Yep, one ISP. No choice. No competition. Well that my friends is what we suffer from here in Hull. Shocking, yes. Illegal? Personally, I think it is, and many thousands of people agree.
Karoo is the ISP of Kingston Communications, and not only are they our ONLY choice, they are also VERY expensive. Try a supposed 8mb line for £29.95 a month. Not exactly cutting edge value is it when many providers give all manner of other services for that amount.
So, a challenge to Karoo / KC…. what are you doing in regard to matching BTs investment? I really would like fibre optics coming to Hull, so then we could perhaps attract some bigger businesses – ok, it’s not the be all and end all but it wold sure help.
I’m going to try and speak to a Karoo spokes person in the next couple of days and will post my findings. I may try for a video too.
UPDATE – Rory Cellan-Jones on the BBC Tech blog has a good post and some interesting comments.
