A big word for the broadband industry
In previous posts, I’ve speculated on the wild inaccuracy of online speed testers, and insisted broadband users should lose the obsession with speed and concentrate on full package value.
However, if you’re on the look out for a transparent, easy to use and immediate online speed checker, why not give the Be Broadband speed estimator a whirl?
I always approach these apps with scepticism, I can’t help it. Once you’ve taken umpteen online speed tests only to be told, time and time again, that your current ISP is a bunch of shoddy no-marks and you really need to switch to the company powering the speed tester you’re using, how can you not be just a little cynical about online speed testers?
However, I think Be might have cracked it.
The secret ingredient? Honesty.
I took the test (located on the Be Broadband homepage), the results of which were a reading of 10.72 Mbps. Not bad at all, I’m quite pleased with that.
The impressive thing is that Be agree with me, stating “you’re off to a flying start”, which is nice. Granted, they’re eager to explain how broadband is about “more than just speed”, but I knew that already.
The point is, I go away happy from this experience having not been given the hard-sell. Although I don’t want to switch to Be Broadband right now, I’ll view them favourably in the future when switching time comes around.
On your marks, set, BOLTBAND
This is no April 1st skit; Virgin Media are seriously considering renaming their new 50Mb super-fast broadband product after Jamaican running sensation Usain Bolt.
The sprinter, who is to athletics what Rupert Murdoch is to news publishing, looks set to sign a rights deal with Virgin Media which will lead to a creation of the ‘Boltband’ brand.
Whether Virgin Media will offer mobile boltband, wireless boltband and set up a separate boltband customer service helpline has yet to be divulged. News on potential bespoke boltband dongles is also scarce.
Our man Bolt, 22, took the gold medal in the men’s 100m and 200m finals in Beijing this week, setting world record times in both events. Had Tyson Gay taken the sprint crown, then we could have been looking at a very interesting endorsed broadband product indeed. Gayband, anyone?
The rollout of Virgin Media’s 50Mbps service on its fibre optic network will take place during the middle part of next year; with the cablenet ISP looking to offer its customers speeds of 200Mbps by 2012.
A Tired Theme
For those of you disappointed with your broadband provider’s false promises and poor download speeds, spare a thought for your confederate cousins across the pond.
The US broadband market has reached a virtual standstill in terms of product development, with take-up now at a seven year low. In fact, adoption in the first quarter of 2008 was the lowest on record since broadband was introduced to the 50 states (and one district).
What’s more, it’s likely to take the US 101 years to catch-up with the future facing broadband networks of Japan and South Korea if they continue to develop their broadband technologies at a snail’s pace.
The average US netspeed is 2.3Mbps, which would rank second last on the recently published Broadband Choices ultimate speed league table. Taking my cue from accumulated Broadband Choices speed test data, i’d say the UK is currently enjoying/bemoaning an average netspeed of 3.4Mbps by comparison.
Who’s at the bottom of our table? America Online of course.
