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Ofcom: BT's copper network capable of 50Mbit/s, in theory
Published: Monday 18th August, 2008 | Author: Parm Mann
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email to a friendWith the increasing use of bandwidth-hungry applications, Ofcom has carried out an assessment to find out "when the current copper network would be unlikely to meet the expectations of the majority of UK consumers".
In order to find the answer, Ofcom commissioned a study to help estimate the theoretical limit for broadband data rates on BT's existing copper network.
Using information on cable lengths from a real network, Ofcom concluded that, in theory, current broadband speeds could be improved dramatically.
The study found that if the upstream modem is hosted in the exchange, households within two kilometres could receive data rates above 50Mbit/s. Furthermore, if the upstream modem is placed in a street cabinet closer to the homes, then almost all households could, theoretically, expect a data rate of 50Mbit/s.
Despite its findings, Ofcom states that "these results are theoretical and do not reflect what could be achieved in practise. Data rates experienced by end users depend not only on the distance between the customer premises and the exchange but also on home wiring and interference at the exchange, cabinet and in the home."
In recent weeks, BT announced plans to invest £1.5 billion in a fibre-optic infrastructure that will bring broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps to some ten million British homes by 2012.
Though the need for a network upgrade is undeniable, Ofcom's assessment shows that there's still more to come from the current copper wires.
Complete assessment report: Ofcom.com (PDF)
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We are on virgin cable and i would like to change to a totally different company due to the whole thing about them allowing the music industries spy on your internet traffic. Not that i have been doing anything wrong i just feel its an invasion of my privacy and i don't know what else they may do with the information.
I may have to story all wrong though.
The music industry spy on your internet traffic anyway (by connecting to torrent trackers and finding people uploading files, or some other method). Then they have your IP and send it to the ISP, and they would like the ISP to cut you off at this point, but at the moment they just send you a warning letter. So the music industry have your IP and the ISP link that IP to your account.
At least that's my understanding of how it works.Quote
Well, good luck with finding an alternavie supplier who can give you anything like the speeds you get from cable. (Unless you live in a tent in the exchange car park that is.)
Its only a 2Mb cable line at the moment and we pay for tv aswell, personally i dont watch a lot of TV and there isnt a great deal of difference between freeview and virgin TVQuote
We are NOT subject to america's laws here and "backdoor" methods to "force" your ISP's to be the new KGB are illegal.
Its tantamount to your phone provider being lible for you threatening to kill the queen in a conversation to your friend.
Isp's have up till now been treated just like phone providers. They just provide a service. What you do with it is up to you. (cant for the life of me remember what the term for it is right now. 2am fuzzyness)
If logic extends then surely gun manufacturers are liable for all the shootings? Car manufactuers for all the crashes? Madness. Same exclusion deal should apply to ISP's. Unless you'd like to sue your ISP for providing service for spammers, pedo's and other nasties. (I'll give you a clue. You wont win that one)
Between the new terror laws and the content Mafia we are becoming a monitored society. I dont like it and i'll fight it every way i can. Not because i have something to hide... but by the fact that the government has already proved that it CANNOT be trusted with our data. Missing CD's anyone?
I object being treated like a criminal by the content mafia. In a global industry, why do we have "region locking?", Why do we have restrictions on transcoding?(If i buy a dvd I fully expect to be able to drop it to a psp or other media device to view it on a train or elsewhere. I BOUGHT the content. I did not rent it.) They want us to pay pay pay. Want it on blueray? pay up. Want it on psp? Pay again. Lost your WMA/DRM files cos your computer craps out? Tough ****. Buy it again. (Yes iTunes i'm looking at you).
What really gets my goat about all this is they say they are doing it for the artists. Not one penny of those lawsuits has gone back to the artists. Its all for more lawsuits and fattening lawyers pockets.
I pray that more artists go online and do direct to fans marketing. Direct downloads of a few quid per song and less middlemen will go a long way to solving the issue. Bringing in proper music services with full backcatalogs instead of eking them out (Disney's "limited" Dvd releases. <spit>) would bring in more fans. If the content mafia was sued out of existance i wouldnt cry one bit. Less crap boybands and Xfactor canned "talent" for us to listen to. More decent music.
I dislike marketing too. I have my phone number private and pursue those companys that phone me for marketing purposes.
hmm... oh yeah. back to downloading... If our creaking networks can "handle" it. Welcome to the digital age. PS. I like Iplayer from BBC. I use it on our Virgin+ box. Saves my poor 2mb cable modem that way. Also love the fastfwd throu adverts. I dont have time for debt loans or other crap ads (why are these on kids tv channels anyway?)
Crap... busted for watching Boomerang... sigh :PQuote
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