Broadband research firm Point-Topic recently released their latest World Broadband Statistics report. This research revealed that these are currently around 500 million fixed broadband lines globally, made up of mainly DSL, cable modem and fibre connections.
The use of all three technologies continues to increase. DSL was the most common technology, used by over 320 million subscribers (over 64 per cent of the total). Cable modem was next, used by 99.9 million subscribers (20 per cent) and FTTx was used by 65.76 million subscribers (13.2 per cent).
China has the largest DSL market in the world, with over 95 million subscribers. This represents 29.7 per cent of the worldwide DSL total.
USA has the second largest DSL market worldwide, with over 31 million subscribers (9.6 per cent of the DSL total). Germany was third with over 23 million subscribers, followed by France (18 million), the UK (almost 15 million) and Italy (13.4 million).
With 46.1 million cable modem subscribers, the USA had the largest cable modem market in the world. This represented 46.1 per cent of the worldwide cable modem total.
This was followed by Canada with over 5.7 million lines (5.7 per cent of the cable modem total). South Korea was third with 5.1 million lines and Japan followed with 4.22 million lines.
After North America, Western Europe had the second largest share of the cable modem market at 18.17 per cent, or 18.16 million lines. Countries in this region with the largest cable modem markets were the UK with 3.95 million lines, Germany with 2.79 million lines and the Netherlands with 2.46 million lines.
The largest FTTx markets are in Asia, with Asia Pacific and South and East Asia controlling over 82 per cent of the FTTx market globally (65.76 million lines). China had the largest FTTx market in the world, with 25.14 million subscribers. Japan was next with 18.4 million and South Korea was third with 8.8 million.
DBC Network
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Telefónica becomes first operator to double wireless broadband access speed to 42 Mbps becomes first operator to double wireless broadband access speed to 42 Mbps
Telefónica, in line with its commitment to spearhead technological innovation, has become the first Spanish company to launch flat rate tariffs along with the first Dual Cell HSPA modem for browsing from a PC or laptop at speeds of up to 42 Mbps.
Major companies and businesses will be able to access this new technology from October and it will be available to private customers by the end of the year.
Telefónica, the first operator to launch HSPA+ commercially last year, is strengthening its commitment to meet its customers’ needs with this launch. It has already begun rolling out Dual Cell HSPA technology in Barcelona and Madrid, which will permit customer access speeds to be doubled to 42 MB.
"The new Dual Cell HSPA technology improves the network speed of Movistar wireless broadband, allowing users browsing with the new Novatel modem to double their current connection speed to the network’s maximum (42 Mbps with Dual Cell coverage). Customers who can currently reach speeds of up to three MB, for example, will be able to enjoy speeds of up to six MB thanks to the rollout of this new technology," Telefónica reported.
Dual Cell offers data download speeds of up to 42 Mbps, with current transmission speeds of 5.7 Mbps. Furthermore, from next year Telefónica will also begin introducing new features, handsets and devices that will initially support data transmission speeds of 11.4 Mbps.
The rollout plan for this new technology will mirror the plan for HSPA+, which started last year and will provide coverage of up to 21 Mbps in all cities with more than 250,000 habitants, tourist areas and business parks by the end of 2010. By the end of 2011 these cities will be able to enjoy access speeds of up to 42 MB.
Furthermore, Movistar is tailoring its commercial offering both to the needs of its customers and to the new speeds and offering more attractive tariffs to heavy users. The Internet Plus Flat Rate and Internet Maxi Flat Rate tariffs, developed specifically for heavy mobile broadband users, will be marketed with the Novatel Wireless MC545 modem, the first
designed for browsing at a speed of up to 42Mbps and will change their respective current maximum speeds of 7Mbps y 10Mbps to the maximum offered by the network.
The Internet Maxi Flat Rate tariff is designed for businesses that are heavy users of mobile data. The monthly fee of 49 euros includes unlimited traffic. Customers on this tariff will benefit from the improved service quality offered by the movistar network within the 10 GB download limit. Moreover, during the first three months of connection users will enjoy a 50% discount on their monthly fees and will be able to buy the modem for just 19 euros.
La Internet Plus Flat Rate tariff, which costs 39 euros per month, is aimed at business users who make intensive use of mobile data and permits data connection from a PC with unlimited traffic and a download quality which has now been increased to the maximum network speed within the 5 GB download limit.
In line with its spirit of innovation, the operator is pressing ahead with its plans to evaluate and introduce network technologies with optimum features such as Long Term Evolution.
Major companies and businesses will be able to access this new technology from October and it will be available to private customers by the end of the year.
Telefónica, the first operator to launch HSPA+ commercially last year, is strengthening its commitment to meet its customers’ needs with this launch. It has already begun rolling out Dual Cell HSPA technology in Barcelona and Madrid, which will permit customer access speeds to be doubled to 42 MB.
"The new Dual Cell HSPA technology improves the network speed of Movistar wireless broadband, allowing users browsing with the new Novatel modem to double their current connection speed to the network’s maximum (42 Mbps with Dual Cell coverage). Customers who can currently reach speeds of up to three MB, for example, will be able to enjoy speeds of up to six MB thanks to the rollout of this new technology," Telefónica reported.
Dual Cell offers data download speeds of up to 42 Mbps, with current transmission speeds of 5.7 Mbps. Furthermore, from next year Telefónica will also begin introducing new features, handsets and devices that will initially support data transmission speeds of 11.4 Mbps.
The rollout plan for this new technology will mirror the plan for HSPA+, which started last year and will provide coverage of up to 21 Mbps in all cities with more than 250,000 habitants, tourist areas and business parks by the end of 2010. By the end of 2011 these cities will be able to enjoy access speeds of up to 42 MB.
Furthermore, Movistar is tailoring its commercial offering both to the needs of its customers and to the new speeds and offering more attractive tariffs to heavy users. The Internet Plus Flat Rate and Internet Maxi Flat Rate tariffs, developed specifically for heavy mobile broadband users, will be marketed with the Novatel Wireless MC545 modem, the first
designed for browsing at a speed of up to 42Mbps and will change their respective current maximum speeds of 7Mbps y 10Mbps to the maximum offered by the network.
The Internet Maxi Flat Rate tariff is designed for businesses that are heavy users of mobile data. The monthly fee of 49 euros includes unlimited traffic. Customers on this tariff will benefit from the improved service quality offered by the movistar network within the 10 GB download limit. Moreover, during the first three months of connection users will enjoy a 50% discount on their monthly fees and will be able to buy the modem for just 19 euros.
La Internet Plus Flat Rate tariff, which costs 39 euros per month, is aimed at business users who make intensive use of mobile data and permits data connection from a PC with unlimited traffic and a download quality which has now been increased to the maximum network speed within the 5 GB download limit.
In line with its spirit of innovation, the operator is pressing ahead with its plans to evaluate and introduce network technologies with optimum features such as Long Term Evolution.
Friday, 24 September 2010
What Is "Super Wi-Fi"?
The FCC just cleared a path for a new generation of "Super Wi-Fi" technologies. Sounds great! But what the heck is Super Wi-Fi?
Super Wi-Fi is still Wi-Fi...
It's not as though Super Wi-Fi is some entirely alien concept. For all intents and purposes, it's Wi-Fi! The same kind of wireless data transmission you use around your apartment or at the office or waiting in line at Starbucks. It's just much, much more powerful....but on a new spectrum...
As John explained previously, pretty much all Wi-Fi activity takes place on the same 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequencies. For the first time in 25 years, though, the FCC has opened up a sizable new block of unlicensed spectrum, this time between 50MHz and 700MHz....that lives in between your TV channels...
Ever since television went entirely digital, folks like Google have been lobbying, literally, to free up the airwaves between channels. The so-called "white spaces" would otherwise have been lying around unused or been subject to prohibitive regulatory precautions....that's much more powerful than what we have today...
Unlike current Wi-Fi airwaves, whose reach can be measured in feet, the spectrum that would carry Super Wi-Fi would be able to travel for several miles because of that lower frequency. Through brick walls, even—something your Linksys really struggles with. You can also anticipate download speeds of 15Mbps to 20Mbps—about as fast as a cable modem....that shouldn't interfere with your regularly scheduled programming...
Back in 2008, when the white space plan was first approved, the biggest concern was that using these airwaves for data transmission could interfere with TV signals. To mitigate those fears, white space devices will be required to query a special geolocation database, ensuring no signals are crossed....and that will have (literally) far-reaching benefits...
The advantages are already apparent. Google, for instance, already has a trial running in a Logan, Ohio hospital that's giving first responders and the hospital grounds alike super-speedy broadband. Wilmington, NC uses white-space to send real-time feeds from traffic and security cameras. And eventually, you would potentially be able to access your home Wi-Fi from several blocks away....though maybe not for a while.
So far, most of what we know about how the white space will be used is based on conjecture. There may be some proof-of-concept devices early next year at CES, and there may be more mass production of products in a year or two. But the first Super Wi-Fi projects are likely to be medical, municipal, large-scale. How long it takes for us to be always connected from anywhere and anything? That's up to the inventors and entrepreneurs to decide. [FCC (pdf)]Should I Turn Off My Router?
If there's a router between your cable or DSL modem and your PC, and the router is turned off, you cannot possibly get an infection over the Internet. Of course, you can't possibly get email, web pages, or anything else, either. Chances are, if you want your PC on, you want the router on, as well.
And if the computer is off, a live router isn't going to cause an infection. Effectively speaking, there's no PC to infect.
But what if you're using your computer in a totally local way, with no need for Internet access? In that case, turning off the router will eliminate any chance of getting an infection. But if you have a properly-configured router and a good software firewall, your chances of getting an infection when you're not using the Internet are already slight.
Plugging your PC directly into the modem and avoiding the router altogether makes your PC considerably less safe.
Shutting off electrical devices when they're not in use is always a good idea; it will save you money and help the environment. But with routers, doing so is seldom convenient--especially if you're sharing that Internet connection with other people. You may not be using the Internet at that moment, but someone else could be.
Add your comments to this article below. If you have other tech questions, email them to me at answer@pcworld.com, or post them to a community of helpful folks on the PCW Answer Line forum.
And if the computer is off, a live router isn't going to cause an infection. Effectively speaking, there's no PC to infect.
But what if you're using your computer in a totally local way, with no need for Internet access? In that case, turning off the router will eliminate any chance of getting an infection. But if you have a properly-configured router and a good software firewall, your chances of getting an infection when you're not using the Internet are already slight.
Plugging your PC directly into the modem and avoiding the router altogether makes your PC considerably less safe.
Shutting off electrical devices when they're not in use is always a good idea; it will save you money and help the environment. But with routers, doing so is seldom convenient--especially if you're sharing that Internet connection with other people. You may not be using the Internet at that moment, but someone else could be.
Add your comments to this article below. If you have other tech questions, email them to me at answer@pcworld.com, or post them to a community of helpful folks on the PCW Answer Line forum.
Toshiba notebooks get integrated WiMax modem
The machines include the Satellite A665 with a 16-inch HD screen, GeForce graphics, and Intel Core processors. The machine will be offered in three models with WiMax inside starting at $804.99. The Satellite M645 is a 14-inch HD widescreen notebook with harman/kardon sound system, Intel Core processors and more. It will start at $759.99 for WiMax packing models.
Toshiba is also offering the Portege R705 with a 13.3-inch screen that is designed to be portable with a weight of 3 pounds. The R705 with WiMax inside is $899.99. The final WiMax notebook is the Satellite E205, a Best Buy exclusive machine. It has a 14-inch screen GeForce 310 M graphics and Intel Wireless Display tech for $1079.99.
LETTER: Verizon's hidden fees
In response to the Sept. 15 article “Hidden charges on your phone bill,” I offer a warning about other predatory practices by Verizon. As a cell phone customer of Verizon for more than five years, initially paying over $100 each month, I have continually found hidden fees on my bills. The most egregious were $15 digital/mobile charges to check my e-mail and access the Internet.
I travel extensively as an author and filmmaker and certainly need online access, yet Verizon refused to exchange my sub-par phone for one that did as promised. Still Verizon continued to charge me $15 for these inaccessible services. When notified, Verizon refused to refund several hundred dollars of overcharges, instead offering an upgraded phone (for a fee).
What to do when a company continually and illegally overcharges? In the case of Verizon, I was told I must pay over $300 to buy out my contract. Stuck with lousy service and exceedingly high monthly billing, I tried to redo my contract while adding a USB modem to access the Internet on my computer because my phone can’t. While I now pay $180 a month to Verizon, the USB modem continually loses its signal, disconnects, and disrupts important uploads for my work. The final insult was a $250 bill for USB modem overages, “overages” because I must reconnect and re-attempt uploads each time. Yet another faulty Verizon product fails.
My solution was a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Predictably, Verizon got the last laugh. Instead of any compromise or refund of exorbitant fees, I received a call, not from BBB, but from a Verizon rep, telling me that I was lying. My phone and USB modem work great, and I must pay the overage charges.
Yet again Verizon cited “our contract” to force me to keep paying them $180 each month, plus fees for products that don’t work nor do as advertised. My contract with Verizon is up in November. This company doesn’t care about people, only profits.
Brad Lockwood
Charles City
I travel extensively as an author and filmmaker and certainly need online access, yet Verizon refused to exchange my sub-par phone for one that did as promised. Still Verizon continued to charge me $15 for these inaccessible services. When notified, Verizon refused to refund several hundred dollars of overcharges, instead offering an upgraded phone (for a fee).
What to do when a company continually and illegally overcharges? In the case of Verizon, I was told I must pay over $300 to buy out my contract. Stuck with lousy service and exceedingly high monthly billing, I tried to redo my contract while adding a USB modem to access the Internet on my computer because my phone can’t. While I now pay $180 a month to Verizon, the USB modem continually loses its signal, disconnects, and disrupts important uploads for my work. The final insult was a $250 bill for USB modem overages, “overages” because I must reconnect and re-attempt uploads each time. Yet another faulty Verizon product fails.
My solution was a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Predictably, Verizon got the last laugh. Instead of any compromise or refund of exorbitant fees, I received a call, not from BBB, but from a Verizon rep, telling me that I was lying. My phone and USB modem work great, and I must pay the overage charges.
Yet again Verizon cited “our contract” to force me to keep paying them $180 each month, plus fees for products that don’t work nor do as advertised. My contract with Verizon is up in November. This company doesn’t care about people, only profits.
Brad Lockwood
Charles City
T-Mobile Mobile Broadband review
The simply named Pay monthly Mobile Broadband plan comes with a free USB modem. Unlike plans from other ISPs which have a choice of contract lengths, you're stuck with an 18 month contract although the monthly fee of £15 does at least drop to £10 for the first free months. There's a 3GB monthly download limit. According to the fair usage policy if you go over it, you won't be charged any extra but T-Mobile can restrict your speeds if you regularly exceed the limit.
The Pay per day and Pay up front plans are T-Mobile's pay as you go options. Both are different from most other pay as you go plans in that there's a fixed 2GB monthly download limit. Topping up doesn't buy any additional download allowance, but simply gives you more time to use your 2GB allowance. This odd scheme is subject to the same fair usage policy as the Pay monthly plan above.
The two plans differ in how much usage time is included. The Pay per day plan has a £20 fee for the modem and comes with 30 days of usage, while the Pay up front service has a £45 fee for the USB modem and comes with 90 days of usage. Once you use up your included usage time, a day costs £2, a week costs £7 and a month costs £15.
Only 57 per cent of T-Mobile customers in our survey were satisfied with their service overall, although the other mobile ISPs have similar satisfaction rates. Although we like T-Mobile's sensible fair usage policy, the set download limits from other ISPs may be preferable and are more easily understandable, especially if you're a heavy downloader.
These results were compiled from our online survey, where users were asked to rate their broadband supplier. In the case of customer satisfaction, this is an average of whether users would recommend their supplier and if they're planning on staying with their current supplier.
Feature table (click to expand)
Author: Alan Lu
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)