Is the Fiber Optic Internet Revolution a Waste of Time?: [10th Mar 2011]

Despite the fact that wi-fi is 30% slower than fixed broadband, it seems that most people are happy to trade the speed for the convenience. A study by Epitro has tested 14,000 connections across Europe and in the US and found the speed difference. The company said they were surprised that such a difference existed but that people appeared happy to accept it. However it was pointed out that people who are simply web surfing or reading emails may not notice the difference but those who used their mobiles for watching video would see a big difference compared to at home.


A study conducted by Recon Analytics has found that just 0.3% of US wireless customers would benefit if they switched to a higher voice plan rather than paying extra on the occasions they went over their monthly limit. It was also suggested that many mobile users would intentionally go over their limit because it was more efficient than changing their plan. The FCC meanwhile, has said that the data shows that it is not necessary to inform customers if they are about to go over their limit as it doesn't seem to concern people and they will not benefit from that information. It is claimed that consumer choice would be damaged by notifying of overages.


A new report has noted that Verizon has the best call performance rating across five regions. The JD Power and Associates US 2011 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study showed that an increase in the number of wireless calls being made has led to a halt in call quality improvement. Call providers were tested on interference, failed connections, voice distortion, voicemail notification times, and text message notifications. Verizon topped the list for the 13th consecutive year with fewer of these problems compared to regional averages. They tied with AT&T in the Mid-Atlantic regions while they topped the Northeast, Southwest, West and Southeast regions.


Clearwire is being sued for requiring their customers to pay early termination fees if they are not happy with their connections - despite those connections being managed in a different way to when they signed up. Customers have recently been subjected to throttling of their broadband lines, in some cases to speeds of just 256kbps. Customers have also not been informed about when this sort of throttling might take place. The lawsuit is claiming that Clearwire is offering a service it is unable to deliver. Claims have been made that the subscriptions are being sold, but that the money is going towards building the network infrastructure to support the sold subscriptions. It is being described as a type of Ponzi scheme. In other words Clearwire is aware they cannot offer the speeds they claim they can but need the subscriptions to eventually be able to offer the advertised speeds. The lawsuit has been filed by current customers and previous Clearwire subscribers who want them to cease this practice and refund early terminations fees.


Recent reports have indicated that Skype now has 663 million users which is a significant jump from the 474 million they had one year ago. Average revenue per subscriber dropped from $98 to $97, however the number of billed minutes increased along with the number of free minutes. Revenue overall increased from $718 million in 2009 to $859 million in 2010.


Comcast Corporation has launched a 24 hour a day and seven day a week technical and equipment support program for home electronic devices. Equipment such as laptops, home networks, gaming consoles and smart phones are used to connect to Comcast services and the Xfinity Signature Support scheme will offer support and troubleshooting for these devices. The service is paid for via a monthly subscription or can be purchased on a one time basis. IT specialists will be able to provide technical support online, over the phone or in the customers home. The plan can also be extended to cover televisions and computers. While it will only be available in three markets to begin, it will be extended to all of the company's markets by the end of the year.