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02 Oct 2009
The UK is falling behind the rest of the world in the quality of its broadband services, according to a new study by Oxford University's Saïd Business School.
The Broadband Quality Score report (PDF), which measured upload and download speeds as well as latency, placed the UK 25th out of the 66 nations covered, behind Slovenia, Malta and Lithuania. Korea was judged to have the best broadband services, followed by Japan, Hong Kong and Sweden. The US came 15th.
"Only a few years ago, the analysis of broadband diffusion focused on who had an internet connection and who did not. As bandwidth intensive applications such as video became pervasive, the broadband gap is being redefined as a quality divide," said the study.
The research team found that broadband quality is linked to social and economic benefits, and that countries with high broadband quality have broadband on their national agenda.
The study analysed 24 million records from May 2008 to July 2009. Overall 93.9 per cent of countries surveyed had improved upload and download speeds from a similar study last year, but over 15 per cent had worsening latency problems.
Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the US showed by far the biggest improvements.
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Do you agree?
Couldn't agree more...
...we are always either getting ripped off or the last country to recieve anything! Andrew Cain http://www.lumenarc.co.uk
Posted by: Andy 05 Oct 2009
Broadband for the here and now
The study proves that our copper network continues to deliver the broadband quality needed by businesses and consumers today. But while many countries in the study have failed in delivering broadband access to the majority of the population, the UK's copper network is delivering good quality broadband to almost everyone that needs it. While affordable fibre is out of reach to many small businesses today, the report proves that ADSL, SDSL and bonded SDSL services still deliver a cost-effective solution to meet the needs of small businesses in the short to medium-term.
Posted by: Chris Stening, MD, Easynet Connect 02 Oct 2009
BT/Govt lazyness at fault
Im totaly shocked that between the govts plans to roll out a WHOPPING 2mb (200kbs) connection isnt enough to rank us higher. They put YEARS into planning it. I am also shocked that BT are surprised that fiber optics really are good, maybe if they hadnt pandered around the idea for years stalling needlessly...we might actually have a network worthy of paying to use. But no, between them to two main organizations which had control of the market and its upgrading left us customers in the lurch. Meanwhile heads and execs at Virgin are laughing all the way to the bank as BT buys their broadband off of them. Meanwhile they carry on ripping off customers selling 2megaBIT broadband as megaBYTES deliberatly misleading customers knowing they havnt explained the difference. Our internet is disgusting in many ways, but sadly the overall populace needs educating on the matter, and the govt is unwilling to help in this area, because doing so would help expose how truely terrible their 'broadband plan' really is.
Posted by: James 02 Oct 2009
broadband infrastructure
I've been paying VAT on my broadband for years. Where has this cash gone, surely it should stay in the pot???? The government now want's me to cough up an extra few pounds to enable people who enjoy countryside living to have broadband too - not fair at all.
Posted by: Azami 02 Oct 2009
Behind in everything
What isn't the UK behind in at the moment? Too many meetings and legislation and not enough implementation. These Asian countries are developing at an alarming rate because they have an infrastructure that imposes less barriers. People are willing to work beyond 9-5. Strip out the copper wires and bring on the optic fibres? Infact, optic fibres are looking to be replaced in about 5 years time so we really don't stand a chance of catching up.
Posted by: Tim Solomon 02 Oct 2009
UK will drop even further behind in years to come!
We need optical from exchange to your house/street. Goverment seems totally clueless about the demands current and future internet use will demand. A target of 2mb is utterly pathetic. Goverment should be aiming far higher, as installation costs will only continue to rise in the future, unless an alternative method/technology that does not involve digging up our streets becomes available. A target of 50-100mb would be more future proof. 2mb target is already out of date. So they have dropped the ball before they have even begun. Having fast broadband should be available regardless of location, and seen as important as running water and electricity. I dare say that not servicing individuals, areas and communities is breaching their human rights, and deprival of economic and education success!
Posted by: RD 02 Oct 2009
Shocking...
Shocking you think ADSL is good enough Chris, since you sell it for a living. ADSL has the major problem that speed drops exponentially based on the distance from the exchange. It's even worse with ADSL2, where the 24mb speeds are only really attainable if you're within 100m of an exchange. ADSL is a hack job, allowing us to use our old copper phone network to access high speed internet, and for that it's great, but it shouldn't have been left as the only option for so long when fibre is such a better option, as BT have now finally realised with their FTTC plans.
Posted by: Paul Jones 02 Oct 2009