Posts by wispa_limited

Ofcom: By 2017, even BUMPKINS will have superfast broadband

Re: Bumpkin

Ultimately Ofcom have absolutely no clue how to affect rural broadband or to properly regulate the broadband market.

I was particularly vocal about them in 2011 when they claimed (copy here - http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2011/07/20/better-value-rural-broadband/):

***Millions of homes and businesses in rural parts of the UK could receive better value broadband services by the end of this year***

Which related to an enforced 12% reduction in wholesale prices in rural regions.

I stated that the wholesale price wouldn't reduce the overall cost for ISPs to deliver broadband by more than about 2%, and that this would not result in a reduction in broadband prices for consumers.

It didn't - it hasn't - and as is attested elsewhere in the comments here - broadband prices in rural communities remain higher than in urban areas - despite speeds being slower overall.

Ofcom making this claim has more to do with their own continued justification of existing than anything to do with narrowing the gap between the haves and have nots.

At the time I asked whether they were clueless, witless or toothless - the answer remains a personal choice.

BT wants to poke fingers in EVERY broadband cash pie

BDUK is demonstrably a failure

It has not, and can not deliver fast ubiquitous broadband for the UK. That is why this document

http://issuu.com/richardbrown0/docs/uk_broadband_plan

Was sent to the House of Lords/Commons, MPs etc and is currently being read in Brussels.

It is possible to deliver fast (100Mbps+) broadband universally - but not this way - and not by doling out cash to BT.

Telcos snub UK.gov broadband cash pot

Ofcom, BT, Geo, Government - whose fault is it?

We recently published a white paper, specifically looking at the problems of delivering broadband in Wales (with particular emphasis on rural areas).

Ofcom are a significant issue (they have totally failed to deliver the competitive market space they claim - chase headlines - mislead the reader of their press releases).

BT are an issue - but primarily because they need to chase profit, rather than any malign or malevolent motivation.

Government has lots to answer for, with some of their decisions in the past.

We've a lot of sympathy for Geo's position, but are we surprised.... Not at all. The broadband infrastructure in the UK is about to slip into several decades of malaise - unless something is done - and done now.

For those that are interested the full paper is here: http://issuu.com/richardbrown0/docs/broadband-wales