Category: Telecoms

Mar 30 2006

Wi-fi activism

Peter Cochrane’s blog returns to a favourite theme of his and mine: why do some UK hotels charge an arm and a leg for wi-fi access. His recipe: "…if enough of us whinge and complain, and refuse to stay in hotels that levy absurd charges, we can change the world – a bit at a …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/03/wifi_activism/

Mar 08 2006

Wi-fi access, again, plus WiMax

I return to this topic from time to time. Sometimes I’m frustrated at the penny-pinching practices of some establishments who charge an arm and a leg for a few minutes wi-fi access (the latest culprit is Attingo, charging six Euros for 30 minutes access at Amsterdam’s Schipol airport yesterday); sometimes, I find cheap or even …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/03/wifi_access_aga-2/

Mar 01 2006

State of the (digital) nation revealed by Ofcom

When I was writing the connectivity section of my book and needing official statistics on the pace of UK broadband adoption, I used Ofcom’s site regularly. Drawing on Ofcom’s Communications Market interim report, today’s Silicon.com article paints a picture of an increasingly internet-savvy UK population embracing broadband (10 million connections!), mobile telephony (though not VOIP …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/03/state_of_the_di/

Feb 28 2006

WiMax: “too slow, expensive and unregulated”

Silicon.com reports that traditional broadband and mobile operators will be avoiding WiMax – according to research by Capgemini. The consultancy predicts that the millions of pounds spent on 3G licences, alongside the increased number of base stations needed to run a network, will deter mobile operators from investing in the long range wireless broadband technology. …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/02/wimax_too_slow_/

Feb 07 2006

Fon

The BBC reports Global wi-fi plan gets $22m boost, describing investment in a three-month-old Spanish – Fon – start-up aiming to build a network of broadband users to share connections wirelessly when away from home. The article talks of ‘Foneros’, ‘Linuses’, ‘Bills’ and ‘Aliens’ in explaining the founder’s vision: "a truly broadband wireless internet everywhere". …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/02/fon/

Jan 19 2006

Wi-fi use not widespread

OK, so I’m in the minority…. A BBC news item, Wi-fi slow to enthuse consumers, says only a handful of people use a laptop to go online when they are away from home: "Just 11% used laptops in hotels, 7% on trains and 3% in coffee shops…. 15% thought there were not enough wireless locations …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/01/wifi_use_not_wi/

Jan 11 2006

Wi-fi access, again

I make no apologies for returning to a regular topic. It seems my wish for wider wi-fi access is shared by MPs at Westminster, according to a Silicon.com article (I particularly liked the sub-head: "I can work at Caffè Nero but not here"). Earlier today, on my way back from an NCCTP meeting at CIRIA‘s …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/01/wifi_access_aga-3/

Jan 04 2006

Yorkshire broadband coverage reaches 100%

Having spent many days in various parts of Yorkshire, including holidays in some of the most remote and beautiful parts of the county, I was interested to read Silicon.com’s report, Yorkshire hits 100 per cent broadband. This doesn’t, of course, mean that everyone is using broadband – Yorkshire still has one of the lowest take-up …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2006/01/yorkshire_broad/

Nov 23 2005

IT perils for SMEs

The UK construction industry is hugely fragmented, with the vast majority of active UK firms classified as small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Even if we ignore the large number of self-employed sole traders, there are still tens of thousands of construction businesses employing just a few people, and according to two news items I’ve read …

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Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2005/11/it_perils_for_s/

Nov 14 2005

Free wireless net access for everyone

A Silicon.com leader asks: "Should the UK offer free wireless internet access everywhere and to everyone?" The answer seems to be "yes, but the ISPs won’t like it" – one of the anonymous commenters argues that, because of this, it won’t happen.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2005/11/free_wireless_n/

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