Comcast has announced trials of gigabit-plus download and upload speeds over their existing cable wires. This trial is a hybrid – mixing fiber and cable, with cabling used for the last mile.
Also in bandwidth, Bloomberg is reporting on connectivity issues in Europe too – with the pandemic exposing significant issues with the availability of broadband, and governments in Italy, Spain and France looking to invest in their infrastructures.
Buried deep within the comments on the Ars Technica article is a reference to Fort Collins, Colorado which in 2018 fought to build their own network – and did, rolling it out this year. The network is now live. A local investment.
How many enterprising services firms will break out of this limiting situation by partnering with local governments to solve this problem? This is clearly not for everyone, but I’m convinced there is opportunity here. Don’t wait for the telcos to solve it for you – build a business. Lobby your local government.
Fixing connectivity is going to be competitive advantage – and I included the European angle because other governments will see it too. Not everyone listening to this will move on it, but the ones who do will unlock a lot of value.
Source: Ars Technica, Ars Technica
Source: Bloomberg