🚀 go-pugleaf

Mike Doyle is rumoured to have typed:


> Also the three biggest Australian cities have cable but Auckland
> doesn't.

THat's be cause too many Aucklanders moaned abuot cables on telephone 
poles spoiling views. Wellington and Christchurch just got on with 
it...... 
 
Plus, Auckland has suffered from the laissez-faire policies of the 
National Party when it came to establishing infrastructure. Since the 
last election, the situation has improved slightly....with several 
non-traditional data network providers moving to fill the gap (United 
Networks and others).....but they are focused on business - not 
consumers. 

> The ranking is:
> 
> South Korea

Small country...and government policy directed telcos providing 
incentives for infrastructural investment. .Korea's net access for home 
and business users is fast and cheap....hence the wall of spam 
emanating from Korea.

> Hong Kong

Even smaller territory than Korea.A regionalhub, showplace and focus 
for a lot of telecommunications investment.

> Taiwan

22 million people living in an area the size of the North 
Island.Government investment through local telco. 

> Singapore

3.3M people living in an area 27kms x 18kms. A regionalhub, showplace 
and focus for a lot of telecommunications investment.All the major 
global players are here. SingTel dominates the local market. Govt-owned 
(at least until VERY recently, if it isn't now) 

> USA

Vast areas not covered....but they have have all the larger cities and 
towns......most of which are bigger than all NZ cities bar 
Auckland.Major interruptions in service to vast numbers of broadband 
users as their providers fall over and they have to scramble to find a 
provider who will fill the gap....often at a much higher price - though 
still cheap by world standards.

scale,scale scale

> France

France has always been progressive. They put Mini-Tel into vast numbers 
of homes almost 25 years ago.Government investment.No private company 
would have done it - because no private company did it - anywhere,In 
the whole world. 

> Sweden

Again....government investment in infrastructure.

> Germany

Deutsche Telekom - govt-owned. 

> Australia

Telstra - govt - owned 

> Norway

Again...government decided Internet infrastructure was important. 

> NZ

Driven by visionaries such as CityLink in Wellington who created the 
most advanced and comprehensive municipal data network almost anywhere 
in the world. Drove the private companies to compete....or misss out.

The lack of a similar iniative in AK, CH and DN means those communities 
have largely missed out. 

Telecom NZ's original vision of "convergence" (TV, voice, data), 
sparked by competititn from Saturn, came unglued and the cable 
languishes in the ground - un-used. They have, however, implemented 
ADSL widely - though at a cost that is prohibitive compared to almost 
all other broadband optins.....despite being the most ubiquitous and 
deployed on existing distribution network (residential phone lines). 

> UK
> Ireland
> 
> 
> 
>> 
>> The same article went on to prerdict that the main driver of
>> broadband
>> use would be  a tendency of companies to operate software by buying a
>> subscription licence 'off site'.
> 
> That is a load of codswallop.
> 
>> My impression was that this was a
>> fantasy, but are there any companies in Australia or New Zealand
>> doing it?
> 
> Microsoft.

-- 
Regards, 

Steve