A teaser story stating that BSkyB will be launching broadband Internet access via a phone line. No details in the story, but I assume it will be marketing tie-up with BT offering Sky viewers ADSL.
Month: April 2002
Broadbus RAM approach to VOD
Broadbus’s approach to serving video content on-demand is to place content in huge RAM caches which they claim enables them to services many more connections while providing better quality, faster starting delivery. Having looked though the site, their logic appears sound but I haven’t heard or see it in action so cannot vouch for practise of the idea.
MS homeworkers ADSL deal with BT
BT has signed a deal with Microsoft UK enabling 1,500 of their workers to access MS network from home via a secure ADSL connection. From experience I know this is something that has a strong appeal to large companies as it give them the potential to significantly reduced their overheads.
MPEG-4 to become the digital video standard?
The digital video distribution market has been crying out for a single format to encode into. When companies want to distribute video on the Internet, they have to be encoded in Real, Microsoft, QuickTime and even DivX to ensure everyone can watch them. This can be a barrier as it puts up the cost substantially, especially if the video pieces are surrounded by Rich Media. There have been clear moves towards making MPEG-4 the format of preference for video compression in particular by the Internet Streaming Media Alliance. There was a significant rumour at NAB this week that MovieLink, the online film distribution vehicle for Sony Pictures, Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros. and Universal would be using MPEG-4 to distribute its content. MPEG-4 has the advantages of not being owned by a single company so should be compatible across different players and importantly, across platforms (PC, STB, handheld). On2 have submitted an objection to the US Justice Department claiming MPEGLA, which represent the rights holders of MPEG, are acting outside its current MPEG-2 remit. There is a lot of momentum behind MPEG-4, so it will be an interesting few months.
UK take of ADSL going well
It’s encouraging to hear that BT are currently dealing with over 10,000 wholesale orders a week for ADSL. They are also broadband-enabling 100 more exchanges and beefing up the capacity of the 1,000+ current broadband-enabled exchanges. A strange turnaround from their comments and action of six months ago where they were actually blaming the consumer for the failure of broadband take up in the UK.
Another surprise announcement from BT was their intention to launch Direct DSL. A service that will be a slightly cheaper service connecting users directly to the Internet, rather than through an ISP, an idea borrowed from Spanish operator, Telefonica. This is going to be very unpopular with UK ISP’s and it will be interesting to see if OFTEL blocks it.
BT announce wireless broadband
BT are planning to launch a broadband wireless access service around the UK, with 400 locations available by June 2003 and an additional 4,000 two years later.
BT see broadband the key to their future
Apparently the BT group see broadband access as they key to its future. They plan to have five million UK customers by 2006. A figure that, out of context, sounds impressive, but when compared to the six and a half million that Korea currently has, less so.