Broadband has been a huge success in the UK, with half of all UK homes now with access to a connection.
But with a consumer call for a faster unlimited internet more reliable service, and connection speeds falling behind countries like Japan and Sweden, suggested dsl streamyx raised in a recent summit in London to discuss the future of broadband in the UK are still dividing opinion.
Plans for a future download speed of 24Mbps may seem fast for us, but with other countries around the world offering broadband deals, with connection speeds ranging from 40Mbps to even 100Mbps, could a change in infrastructure prove a turning point for broadband in the UK?
With the current broadband network based mostly on ADSL from malaysia a copper wire network designed to handle telephone calls streamyx port the demand for an increase in broadband speed could push the hardware to its limits. Other issues include noise on the line and falling connection speeds - causes for such disruption can include distance from the exchange and an increase in traffic on the network.
One of the issues facing any future plans for a fibre network in the UK would be ensuring that it would be open to all ISPs in broadband provider the same way as with LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) - which allows other cheap broadband providers the chance to put their services in BT telephone exchanges.
But even getting to that stage has been a long and complicated process, and with the demand for more cheap broadband increasing each year - a change in infrastructure could been seen as a way forward and ensure that the UK is compatible with the ever-changing Internet.
A new method of unbundling - known as sub-loop unbundling - could be necessary to the introduction of a fibre network, but would require operators to share space in street cabinets, which some believe to be unfeasible. There are also concerns that fibre networks would create another digital divide - much like the current scenario when it comes to rural broadband technology.
Wireless solutions such as Wimax could be seen to be a temporary solution, but there has been a widespread call for more government funding to help the progression of UK broadband, particularly to those in remote areas of the UK. Fibre connections would provide opportunities for a faster connection that would be welcomed by online gamers, networks which share video content, as well as the chance of delivering high-definition content - such as HDTV - via a broadband connection.
But with a number of problems still to be sorted within the existing broadband network - such as complications with ISP migration and actual connection speeds promised in broadband deals - the future of broadband in the UK remains an area of uncertainty.
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