What is a broadband connection?It is a product that connects users to the internet at faster speeds than traditional dial-up modems. The ITU defines broadband at download speeds of 256 kilobytes per second - almost 10 times faster than typical dial-up modems running at 28.8 kbits/s.
What products are on offer?
Digital subscriber line technology is available to about 55 per cent of the population from firms such as Eircom, Esat BT and UTV. NTL offers cable broadband services in a few areas and wireless firms such as Leap Broadband offer wireless services.
Consumer uses for broadband:
Much of the demand for broadband is being driven by home users who are gaining access to a technology that can transform how they use their computers.
Gaming: Microsoft will launch Xbox Live in Ireland on October 30th. This will enable people to play games online with friends in different cities or states using broadband internet connections.
Music: thousands of Irish people already download from the Web for free using file sharing websites such as Kazaa. Apple and Microsoft recently introduced low cost music download sites.
Video on demand and TV: in Korea 1.8 million have subscribed to a service that enables them to watch streaming video of popular TV programmes such as soap operas at any time of day. Kingston Communications in England offers interactive television services using DSL services.
Photos: many people now use digital cameras and store photographs online. Web services already exist that enable users to automatically download photos of friends and family from common websites during off peak hours.
E-government: the Government is building a public services broker that will enable citizens to access services online using their personal public services number.
In future they should be able to apply and pay for driving licences and even passports on the Web, reducing the time spent queuing at public offices.
Business uses for broadband:
It is much more economical to use broadband technologies than other existing telecoms services such as leased lines, which can cost 20 times more than DSL.
Global businesses are already using DSL and other broadband technologies for a range of innovative uses, which rely on the transmission of video and internet data at very high speeds. By enabling people to stay connected all the time rather than dialling up when they want to go online, broadband promotes the concept of telework.
Microsoft said last week it would provide DSL for free to the homes of most Irish employees. This will enable staff to work on software development while at home and send the completed work by e-mail to their offices.
Broadband is already used in Britain to transmit high quality medical images between hospitals and doctors' surgeries. The high bandwidth provided by DSL means the images can be sent in a fraction of the time required by narrowband internet services.
Tulip farmers in the Netherlands use broadband connections to send digital photographs to flower purchasing agents in Amsterdam, a method that is 13 times cheaper than alternatives.
DSL is used by firms in the Republic for video conferencing services that can reduce the need for executive travel.
Meanwhile, operators in Japan and the US already offer voiceover IP services using broadband networks that enable customers to make long distance telephone calls at cheap rates.
