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Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jim Hock, 202-587-4476 Broadband Primer
What is Broadband?
Definitions of broadband vary widely. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), broadband means transmission capacity that is faster than primary rate ISDN (i.e. 1.5 or 2 Mbps). The FCC chose 200 Kbps at its definition for broadband because, in their view, it is enough to provide the most popular forms of broadband to change Web pages as fast as one can flip through the pages of a book and to transmit full-motion video. Notwithstanding these definitions, the term tends to be widely used simply as shorthand for high speed, always-on Internet access. Who are the world Broadband leaders? It is projected by eMarketer that at the end of 2001, 80%, or 20.7 million of the estimated 26 million global broadband subscribers, came from five countries: the US, Canada, South Korea, Germany and Japan. Based on other studies the US is projected to fall to 9th by 2005. The top 5 countries, by number of subscribers (in thousands and by % of total households):
U.S.A - 10,000 (9.52%) Where does Broadband prosper? Broadband has prospered in countries where national and regional governments have set aggressive targets, investment in infrastructure is encouraged and the regulatory environment isconducive to competition. According to eMarketer, countries such as the UK, Australia and even the U.S., where there is a high penetration of "dial-up" access, may miss the broadband boat unless further competition is encouraged in the "last mile" and broadband becomes more affordable. What role does Government play in Broadband rollout? Governments have an important role to play in fostering broadband penetration. South Korea and Canada lead the world in terms of broadband penetration, and one of the major reasons for their leadership has been the active role the respective governments have played. The Canadian government, through its National Broadband Task Force, released a report that outlines the guiding principles the government can play in fostering broadband penetration. The overeaching principle of the report is that all Canadians should have equitable and affordable access to broadband networks and to the widest possible range of content and service providers. The specific role governments can play is through: fostering competition, developing effective regulatory environments, assisting communities in exploiting opportunities, ensuring effective utilization of broadband in government services, stimulating the development and availability of local content and services, promoting awareness of broadband infrastructure and services, providing broadband infrastructure assistance to communities where required. The benefits of broadband are many and varied. While the private sector will take a leadership role in the development of broadband networks and services, the role of governments should not be underestimated. How much bandwidth do I need? The bandwidth required for specific applications is a great way to understand what applications are currently feasible and what applications need more bandwidth.
More about Broadband: For more information, please see:
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