Monthly Archives: July 2007

Broadband in Two Countries

BBArussfig1070702.gif Broadband growth is slowing in the U.S.:
Price reductions and other factors led to 40 percent growth in adoption from March 2005 to March 2006. Over the following year, growth was a more modest 12 percent, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said in a report Tuesday.

“The low-hanging fruit was picked … so you saw a slowdown understandably going to 2007,” said John Horrigan, Pew’s associate director for research.

— Study: Broadband Growth Slowing in U.S. By Anick Jesdanun, AP Internet Writer, 3 July 2007

Meanwhile, back in the USSR Russia:
The broadband market in Russia, particularly in Moscow, is growing quickly. The Ministry of IT and Communications reports that the fixed broadband market grew 42% and wireless broadband market showed a 61% annual growth rate in 2006.

— FTTx and DSL in tussle for Moscow market share, PointTopic, 3 July 2007

And in Russia it’s mostly fiber to the home, enabling even faster future speeds.

-jsq

The Tree of Liberty

On this day in the United States we celebrate the Declaration of Independence with
Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfire and Illuminations
as John Adams recommended in 1776.

The Declaration laid out a “a long train of abuses and usurpations” and referred to “certain unalienable Rights”, which the former colonials went on to spell out in a written Constitution (the oldest in the world today) to which they added a Bill of Rights. Is their work done? Continue reading →

iPhone Plus

You do want fries with that iPhone, don’t you?
Following up on the launch difference between AT&T and Apple stores, we’ve got three separate accounts of people reporting that AT&T is forcing them to buy accessories along with their iPhone at three different AT&T stores. This was definitely not the case at Apple stores, and for AT&T to decide this on their own to cash in on the launch is pretty damn shady.

— Breaking: Several AT&T Stores Forced Customers to Buy Accessories With iPhone By Jason Chen, Gizmodo, 30 June 2007

This is even though the iPhone costs about $500 because it is not subsidized by the telco (unlike most other phones they sell, which can cost $0), yet you’re still required to sign up for a two year contract. And AT&T is one of the companies we’re supposed to trust to provide us Internet service without charging extra for particular services.

-jsq

A FiOS Way

thomas_t.jpg Verizon has a policy blog. It’s been around for most of a year now:
I’ll leave clever humor comparing this blog’s name with the terminology for amphibious offspring to others, yet in one sense the comparison is appropriate. “PoliBlog” is very much a site in its infancy, and none of us here at Verizon is sure how it will evolve. But evolve it will.

The intent of PoliBlog is to present perspectives on issues of importance that intersect public policy, politics, markets, and business in the broadband world. That’s a big pool to swim in, and it reflects the constantly changing world we live in.

—, Welcome Aboard, by Tom Tauke, PolicyBlog, October 02, 2006

I have to give them points for seeing it as an emergent communication method including their point of view, rather than just dictating talking points.So far, they seem to be sticking to that. And they’re getting some interesting comments, pro and con. But let’s look outside their blog box a bit. Continue reading →