Disqus
Not so very long ago in the news, there was a story about a mandate laid down by the Government that within 5 or so years, everyone should have access to the InterWeb, at a speed of 2Mbps or more. The medium of connection for that statement was not defined, but of course there could be a range of options – (x)DSL, Cable, FTTH, Mobile, WiMax – the list goes on.
However, in the last 24 months, the runaway success has been Mobile broadband – plug a self-installing USB dongle in your PC, and off you go – InterWeb access straight away! So I pose this question – would the Government’s mandate best be served, in large part, by USB dongles on current/next-gen networks?
I’m not of course suggesting that we just dump tens of millions of extra users on to existing networks, but, instead a multipoint plan revolving around:
• Government investment strongly in to the Mobile Operator Networks
• Government definition of requirements of Operators to share mobile mast sites
• Government subsidy of USB dongles for those disadvantaged
• Government definition of clear wireless networking strategy
It’s a snap for mobile broadband dongle vendors to include multi-mode radio in to their devices, and with increased coverage, we could get a roaming super-network, overlaid with a couple of generations of radio access technology – ultimately providing very good coverage for anyone with a need to access the InterWeb.
I’ve a feeling the Government might stay technology-agnostic, and just lay down more general plans about the % of people that should have access in 5-10 years’ time, but in fact, at this point, due to the dramatically slow speeds of things like the (widely-deployed) xDSL, it is the time to get directly in the technology definition path. Take a hold of things, define how they ought to work, and make the Mobile Operators play nice together. InterWeb access is becoming a utility, and without strong leadership in this area, the disadvantaged will end up with differential access to another key commodity of the future.
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
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Mark ( ISPreview )
