2 Real Broadband Alternatives
Irish Independent • Monday, 7 July, 2008
The digital home
The era of the passive consumer is gone. No more waiting for your favourite TV programme or reading static websites, writes MARIE BORAN
T
HE box in the corner
isn’t obsolete because
it no longer refers to
the television. The
new box in the
corner is one hub, be it cable or
IP, through which masses of
information is streamed, high-
definition movie downloads,
video-on-demand, YouTube and
Flickr uploads: our digital life.
“You could call it the digital
revolution and it is progressing
at an ever-increasing pace:
consumers are shifting their
time and spending in favour of
new digital media,” says Anna-
Maria Barry, spokesperson for
triple-play provider UPC, which
supplies the Chorus and NTL
services.
“This is proven steadily by
the increasing number of PCs
and broadband connections.
Look at the growth of
consumers shopping online,
which has changed dramatically
even in the past five years. All
indicators focus on the fact that
consumers are spending more Emma O'Hare, Digiweb
time online than reading
newspapers or magazines.
“Digital consumption is
‘This is a big concern for TV
becoming an increasingly
important segment of everyday
life,” she adds.
stations and their
Convergence is a key part of
this digital evolution, says
Declan O'Farrell, marketing
advertisers. People no
director at Magnet Business:
“In terms of convergence, what
longer passively consume
Magnet has to offer is its own
network and fibre offering, and
even outside our fibre we have
entertainment and news’
high-grade broadband which But why has triple play such When you take the concept of recording for live television and Broadband quality and not content multiply, this is where
allows us to converge services. a pivotal role to play in the digital evolution into the home, high-speed broadband services.” just speed is also a key enabler the distinction will really be Emma O’Hare, marketing co- “Digiweb is keen to develop
“Currently we have triple play convergence of home it’s important to look at it in Upping the game, UPC have to consuming high-definition noticed.” ordinator for Digiweb, is its product portfolio to include
on our fibre network and that is entertainment? There are a relation to what alternative introduced new speeds of content, and indeed creating With high-quality, high- inclined to agree with Barry triple-play services, as well as the
a key offering. It’s only the number of things converging, infrastructure providers like 3Mbps, 10Mbps and 20Mbps our own content. “We are at the capacity connections, the and O’Farrell about this move in development of high-speed
beginning. A converged service says O’Farrell. UPC are doing. This is integral packages at the same cost as very beginning where everyone interoperability of platforms in home entertainment to the broadband connections to
over high-capacity, high-quality “One element is IP (internet to proactively shaping a the previous 1Mbps, 6Mbps and is just talking about broadband the home becomes possible, online space: “Recent consumer support the growth of
broadband opens up the door to protocol). You can send a new convergent market 12Mbps ones. speeds,” observes O’Farrell. O’Farrell says: “If you download market research suggests people downloads and streaming of
a lot of other things.” number of things over IP, environment, explains Barry. “Through the same cable “They are not necessarily a 200MB movie over our new are spending more time online live entertainment,” says O’Hare.
While Magnet provides TV, including voice. You are “What was once a cable point point in areas where we are distinguishing greatly between 50Mbps clear connection, you’ll and less time watching TV. “People now demand
radio and phone services as beginning to converge the just to receive TV channels has triple-play-enabled, we provide contended and un-contended get it in less than a minute on “This is obviously a big information at their fingertips
well, O’Farrell says broadband is platforms, including your expanded: that cable point is a phone service for a line rental shared services, which make your laptop. Then you could concern for TV stations and and news delivered in minutes
central because this is where widescreen TV, the laptop, the now able to deliver into the of ¤4 as opposed to the for a huge difference in quality. send it to your Xbox and play it their advertisers. People no and broadband providers will
user-generated content on sites phone: these things become home enhanced services like incumbent charge of ¤25.36,” As applications for uploading in high-def over your longer passively consume have to step up to meet these
like YouTube and Flickr lives. interoperable,” he explains. digital TV, digital video Barry adds. and downloading digital widescreen TV. entertainment and news.” new demands.”
FINDING THE RIGHT
CONNECTION
Buying broadband for the first time can seem like a confusing
circuit of the jargon rally. Here’s how to cut to the chase, says
NIALL BYRNE
C
ONTENTION, next- says Ronan Gallagher, product and songs, as well as spend time multiple videos. At 20Mbps you
generation networks, manager, UPC. on websites such as YouTube, have an unprecedented internet
upload speeds, Entry-level broadband you are probably better to go video experience; for example
ADSL, local loop packages of 1-2Mbps are for a 3Mbps connection or you can watch high-definition
unbundling: the adequate for those users who higher,” says Charl Tintinger, streamed baseball games in real-
terminology surrounding are taking their first steps in technical operations manager, time on a full screen.”
broadband can be intimidating cyberspace. But as their usage Digiweb. Contention is a term that has Ronan Gallagher, UPC
for first-time buyers. The jargon evolves, they may consider According to Gallagher, become more prominent in ISP
can over-complicate what should upgrading to a higher speed. research shows people’s use of marketing over the past year on the other users you are line) is the further away you are “For customers, we see the resulted in most ISPs imposing
be a relatively straightforward “Anybody looking to do some the internet invariably increases but still confuses a lot of would- sharing it with. If the rest are from a phone exchange, the less ‘next generation’ being about monthly download limits. The
purchasing decision that satisfies work from home will need once they get on the first rung of be net surfers. passive users it can be good, but likely you are to be able to get the convergence of networks problem was customers were
a customer’s key demands. higher speeds to incorporate the digital ladder. That’s one Basically, it refers to the you can’t choose your high speeds. If you are too far and applications,” says Tintinger. often unaware when they had
The question top internet contacts, calendar lists, reason why UPC has upped its number of people sharing the neighbours,” says Lavin. from the exchange, the “What this really means for exceeded their limits and thus
service providers (ISPs) should downloading Excel spreadsheets speed offerings from 1Mbps, same amount of bandwidth at Even a package that’s information won’t travel at the customers is better bundled were annoyed when restrictions
be asking customers is simply: and so on,” says Joe Lavin, 6Mbps and 12Mbps to 3Mbps, any given time over a particular advertised as contention-free is same speed, even if classed as voice and data services in one on downloading kicked in,
‘What do you want to do with it?’. product manager, Magnet. 10Mbps and 20Mbps platform. A lot of packages will not necessarily guaranteed to contention-free,” says Gallagher. device. sometimes interrupting
“A typical first-time user will “Generally a 2Mbps home respectively. “In the near future, we’ll see important work.
be interested in setting up their connection is sufficient for “If you are planning on more intelligent handheld UPC and Magnet have now
first email account and might normal light surfing and sending family photographs and
want to do some shopping or emailing but if you want to videos to people, the need for ‘The need for faster broadband does
devices using our data network moved to a ‘fair use’ policy, where
with better speeds and cost they have removed the cap on
check their bank details online,” download video clips, movies faster broadband does become efficiency,” Tintinger said. how much somebody can
self-evident as the file sizes of
information you are receiving
become self-evident as the file sizes of
“An NGN allows you to run all download but excessive users
Editorial & Design: © Whitespace Publishing
your technologies – phone, will be contacted if their overuse
Whitespace Publishing Group Ltd 2008
and sending on a frequent basis
continues to grow,” says
information you are receiving and sending
internet and TV – over a single is flagged as having the potential
broadband connection,” says to disrupt the network.
Group Ltd
Tintinger. Lavin. “The clever part is the Digiweb informs customers
e: info@whitespace.ie
One of the big drivers for
demand for more speed is video. on a frequent basis continues to grow’
network has the intelligence to when they are getting close to
identify different traffic streams exceeding limits within their
Editor: John Kennedy
“With an entry-level connection and prioritise them. So you could broadband package, says
t: 01 6251429
you will often get buffering while decide you don’t mind Tintinger. Customers are also
e: jkennedy@siliconrepublic.com playing video online,” explains be sold with a contention ratio deliver the speed it claims. All the talk in broadband temporarily if your email is a bit facilitated to upgrade their limits
Gallagher, referring to a situation of 24:1 or 48:1. This means you “Some operators advertise circles is about next-generation late as long as the phone line isn’t in a simple manner if they find
Sales:
www.whitespace.ie
where the internet connection is share the bandwidth available their service as contention-free networks (NGNs). Magnet, UPC affected midway through a they require a higher cap.
Ken Peacham
not fast enough to deliver all for your connection with up to but it’s going across an Eircom and Digiweb have all invested in conversation.” Lavin recommends customers
t: 01 6251424 Published by: Independent
the video instantaneously, 23 or 47 of your neighbours. phone line. The problem with NGNs. What this will mean for A lot of customers now wish entering into a contract with a
e: kpeacham@siliconrepublic.com Newspapers Ireland Ltd
resulting in pauses in playback. “You can have a good or bad DSL (a technology which customers is higher bandwidth to download content off the broadband provider for the first
“A 3Mbps package gets rid of experience with a contended enables high-speed internet and more integrated services in internet. This takes up time ensure they can upgrade to
buffering. You can watch broadband service, depending access over a standard telephone the future. bandwidth space and in the past a higher bandwidth at any stage.
The Real Broadband Alternatives
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