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Broadband/Wi-Fi
What is Broadband?
How is broadband delivered?
Why Broadband?
Links
What is Wi-fi?
What is Broadband?
Broadband is essentially a method of sending and receiving data
over high speed networks. It is perhaps most commonly associated
with internet access via a computer, that is considerably faster
that standard ‘narrowband’ internet access - available
through a dial-up connection using a modem and a standard telephone
line.
Until recently the main focus has been on broadband coverage and
specifically how the UK government’s call for ‘broadband
access for everyone in the UK by the end of 2005’ could be
achieved. Initial progress was patchy and the UK lagged behind several
other countries (most notably South Korea and Canada), but BT’s
recent announcement that it will enable all telephone exchanges
by the end of summer 2005 means that broadband will be available,
through DSL, to 99.6% of the UK population.
More recently the focus has shifted from coverage to content,
and specifically what is needed to entice people to sign up to broadband
once it is available. According to the latest stats from the communications
regulator the Office of Communications (Ofcom), there were almost
4 million broadband connections in the UK, with numbers growing
at around 40,000 per week. Ofcom's research also shows a decline
in the use of ‘narrowband’ services as consumers upgrade
to broadband. 67% of adults connect to the internet at home using
narrowband, down from 73% in November 2003. 53% of UK adults now
have internet access at home, 25 per cent of these connect using
broadband services.
How is broadband delivered?
Broadband is available by various means. The most common method
of broadband connectivity is by Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) that
uses standard phone lines - in areas where the local telephone exchange
has been enabled. Ofcom figures for the end of April 2004 suggest
that over 61 per cent of broadband connections are delivered in
this way. Suppliers include BT, Wanadoo, AOL and many others. Note
- For information on suppliers of broadband services, visit ADSL
Guide.
Over 38 per cent of connections are accounted for by cable, from
suppliers such as NTL and Telewest. The remaining 1 per cent or
so of connections are delivered through satellite broadband initiatives.
Whilst DSL and cable connections are currently available to over
90% of the UK (with an aim of 99.6% by summer 2005), satellite broadband
is available everywhere, but its relatively high start-up and subscription
costs serve as a major barrier for many people.
Why Broadband?
Various organisations and initiatives, such as Department for
Education and Skills’ Wired-Up Communities, and the recently
formed Community Broadband Network, aim to assist individuals and
communities get access to, and make best use of broadband services.
At the same time, much has been written on the various benefits
that broadband technology brings, and the advantages it has over
narrowband services. In adopting the parlance of its proponents,
broadband allows access to the internet that is faster than dial-up
and ‘always on’. It offers a service that is ideal for
activities such as downloading and accessing larges files and online
gaming. But, is this how people are using it? Is this what they
want to use broadband for?
Marketing terminology, that appears inextricably linked with broadband
advertisements, pronounces the productivity benefits to business
and the new opportunities it offers to home users, but there is
little evidence of the ‘real’ social and environmental
impact of the technology that goes beyond anecdotal claims. In other
words, there is little empirical evidence of the social and environmental
impact of broadband on individuals, communities and the wider environment.
This is the area of primary interest for SustainIT.
SustainIT's Connected Communities project shows how broadband can benefit
UK Community Groups and how, in turn, these groups can help to reduce
the so called ‘digital
divide’. Through desk research and empirical data - gathered
from 23 community organisations - SustainIT’s report highlights
the key elements for success in making the most of broadband technology.
The full report Connected Communities – Can
they help to reduce the digital divide? Is available
to read or download here. The report contains eight
case studies of UK-based community organisations that have successfully
adopted broadband for the good of their communities.
Links
For links to other organisations, initiatives and information
on various aspects of broadband, visit the ‘Broadband’
and ‘Community ICT’ sections of our Links page.
What is Wi-fi?
Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, is all about freedom from wires.
Wi-fi enabled devices, such as laptops and mobile phones allow users
to connect to the internet without being restricted by modem leads.
This is possible as the wi-fi device ‘communicates’
with a nearby wireless access point over radio waves, similar to
the way mobile phones operate.
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