Why the need for extra fast internet in a residential area?

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Why the need for extra fast internet in a residential area?

semigeek

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#98223 27-Feb-2012 13:16

As a Slingshot user on the naked unlimited plan, I get around 13-15Mbps download and approx 1Mbps up.
This speed does me fine and I can stream, download legal torrents from places like Vodo and watch movies from Zune etc. Why do we need extra fast residential broadband? Surely larger data caps for most would be better and then they can download as much as they want without worrying about their caps going over.

It's not that I don't disagree with fast speeds, i.e. VDSL, Fibre etc, but for residential areas I just don't see the point. For places like Universities, Schools, Hospitals then I can understand a need.

Jaxson

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#587345 27-Feb-2012 13:20

It's all about porn.

SteveON

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#587351 27-Feb-2012 13:31

Jaxson: It's all about porn.

Chainsaw

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#587356 27-Feb-2012 13:37

Wouldn't it also speed up sites that currently do not have the speeds you do, maybe even struggle for a connection? (I don't know the answer, this is a real question)

I certainly don't get your speeds and would like to be faster.

Shock

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#587424 27-Feb-2012 15:51

Is it not more to do with providing a higher base level technology that services can be provided over ?(and porn)

Not necessarily speed, but more with bandwith. If all services (phone, TV, internet, games, monitoring, smart meters, smart applicances etc etc) use the net and that is where technology is moving then the upgrade is needed.

I hear what you are saying though, I have no percieved need for UFB at my home as ADSL2+ does what I want now and the cap suffices. The shift in technology is potentially going to cost me money so the motivation to move is low.

Connecting to UFB? Go with Bigpipe and use this link for free credit!

Kitanai

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#587432 27-Feb-2012 15:59

I've recently switched to VDSL at home, my upload is now around 8-9Mbps, download about 30Mbps.

My husband is a photographer, so he's absolutely loving the decreased upload time for his photos. It's also cut the time our backups take.

In terms of upload, we've already found the extra speed fantastic. I'm sure there are lots of other people with other uses for increased upload out there too.

For download, it hasn't made that much of a difference, but that's due to the amount of content from the USA we watch - the maximum throughput we've ever seen is 8Mbps to the VPN. But, I could easily see how in a multi-teenage/flatmate/avidtvfan household even now you could easily want a 20Mbps connection (and hopefully through a relatively undersubscribed backhaul).

Ragnor

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#587460 27-Feb-2012 17:00

semigeek: I just don't see the point. For places like Universities, Schools, Hospitals then I can understand a need.

It's a once in a generation infrastructure upgrade from copper to fibre for connectivity.

It's not possible to fathom all possible applications of an infrastructure upgrade like this yet, similar to how when earlier technological pioneers decided we needed a electricity lines network or a national roading system.

Investment in base infrastructure pretty much always pays off.