incumbent transition faster to VoIP in Japan than in U.S.

The transition to telephony as an app on a broadband network is simple technologically, but challenging to established telephone companies.


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interactive maps of broadband speeds

A recent UK online newspaper article includes an interactive map of UK broadband speeds.  Text above the map states, “Use our interactive map to find the results for your area.”  That statement presents the map as a data access tool.  But the map includes color-coded markers that provide a quick visualization of the geographic distribution [...]


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mapping average Internet download speeds in U.S.

Akamai’s publicly filed dataset of observed average Internet download speeds for U.S. network connections is now on Needle.  Needle makes it easy to map the reported cities and states according to an average speed threshold.  For example, 79 out of the 500 reported cities have average Internet download speed less 2048 kbit/s.  Here’s a map [...]


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dispersion of Internet download speeds

Better Internet connectivity tends to be associated with more urban areas, areas with a greater concentration of high-tech industries and employees, and areas with wealthier, more educated populations.   These factors, however, do not provide simple explanations for the actual geographic pattern of Internet download speeds from Akamai’s server network.  According to Akamai’s measurements (which include [...]


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understanding lack of interest in broadband speed

A person living in Arlington, Virginia, measured his Internet connection quality using the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Broadband Test.   He found his Internet download speed to be about 750 kilobits per second (kbits/s).  Studying Akamai data on observed average Internet speeds, I found that only about 2% of Internet addresses (from business and residential users) [...]


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upgrading U.S. telephone network technology

Major upgrades of the U.S. telephone network have taken decades.   The first U.S. commercial installation of a automatic (mechanical) telephone switch occurred in 1892.[1]   In the Bell System in 1920, nearly three decades later, only 2% of telephones were automatically switched.[2]   The share of telephones in the U.S. that were automatically switched didn’t rise [...]


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selling bandwidth

The Ultimate Hydrator Deer Park brand natural spring water has no calories, and we do not add anything: no sweeteners, no caffeine, no sodium — it’s pure refreshment that quenches your thirst and replenishes your body. Don’t bother consulting a book of omens.  When bandwidth is sold like water, you’ll know that the communications industry [...]


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low bandwidth but geographically comprehensive connectivity has high value

Verizon introduced its National Discount Plan (NDP) on June 14, 2007.   This “new, industry-leading, generally available plan for DS1 and DS3 Special Access services” offered terms that depended on a customer’s national volume of DS1s and DS3s purchased from Verizon.  Publicly available FCC annual access tariff filings suggests that Verizon sold under the NDP [...]


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end-user services on national broadband networks

Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia are building national fiber-optic networks that will provide high-capacity connectivity to all residences and workplaces. All three national projects separate network facilities from retail service providers. Government investment, government ownership, and government control, to various degrees and in various institutional forms, will be a major aspect of the facilities layer. [...]


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successful municipal fiber network

The city of Burlington, Vermont is providing communication services for its residents over a new, advanced municipal fiber optic network. Burlington is a city of about 40,000 persons. The city department that builds the network, operates it, and sells communications services is called Burlington Telecom (BT). BT had been designed and operated to be self-sufficient. [...]


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