‘Fastest ever’ broadband passes speed test

By Dave LeeTechnology reporter, BBC News

The “fastest ever” broadband speeds have been achieved in a test in London, raising hopes of more efficient data transfer via existing infrastructure.

Alcatel-Lucent and BT said speeds of 1.4 terabits per second were achieved during their joint test – enough to send 44 uncompressed HD films a second.
The test was conducted on a 410km (255-mile) link between the BT Tower in central London and Ipswich.
However, it may be many years before consumers notice any effect.

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The trade-off is the more you squeeze into a fibre line, the more potential there is for interference and for error”

Oliver JohnsonPoint Topic

But the breakthrough is being seen as highly important for internet service providers (ISPs), as it means a greater amount of information can be sent through existing broadband infrastructure, reducing the need for costly upgrades.

“BT and Alcatel-Lucent are making more from what they’ve got,” explained Oliver Johnson, chief executive of broadband analyst firm Point Topic.
“It allows them to increase their capacity without having to spend much more money.”
Alcatel-Lucent told the BBC that the demand for higher bandwidth grew by around 35% every year, making the need for more efficient ways to transfer data a massively pressing issue for ISPs, particularly with the growing popularity of data-heavy online services, such as film-streaming website Netflix.

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How much?!

The speed achieved by the researchers topped out at 1.4 terabits per second. But what does that figure mean?
Data transfer is measured in bits, not to be confused with bytes, which are a measure of stored information.
1.4 terabits is a huge amount, enough capacity to transmit 44 HD movies at once.
To give that context, the current fastest package for consumers in the UK (excluding Hull) is Virgin Media’s 120 megabits per second.
There are 1,024 megabits in just one gigabit and1,024 gigabits in one terabit.

There are faster methods of transmitting data -such as the use of complex laser technology - but this is the first test to achieve such high speeds in “real world” conditions, outside testing labs.

Rush-hour trafficThe high speeds were achieved using existing fibre cable technology that has already been installed in much of the UK and other parts of the world.
Kevin Drury, optical marketing leader at Alcatel-Lucent, likened the development to reducing space between lanes on a busy motorway, enabling more lanes of traffic to flow through the same area.
He said flexibility meant some could be adapted to specific needs – like opening an extra lane during the morning rush hour.
In internet terms, this would mean, for example, streaming video would get a large, wide lane, while accessing standard web pages would need only a small part of the fibre’s capacity.
However, pushing more data through fibre cables presents a challenge.

The test will be welcome news for Reed Hastings, chief executive of streaming service Netflix, interviewed by the BBC earlier this month

“The trade-off is, the more you squeeze into a fibre line, the more potential there is for interference and for error,” explained Mr Johnson.
“What has got better is the fact they are able to pack these channels closer together and into the same space.”
Alcatel-Lucent and BT said their test demonstrated “stable, error-free operation”

European visitors ‘turn phones off’ to avoid charges

By Dave LeeTechnology reporter, BBC News

More than a quarter of European visitors turn their phones off to avoid the risk of roaming charges, research from the European Commission suggests.

A survey of 13,285 people across the EU said 47% of respondents also did not use mobile internet while travelling.
European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes said she was shocked by the figures, which researchers believe reflect a fear of high charges.
“It shows we have to finish the job and eliminate roaming charges,” she said.
“It’s not just a fight between holiday-makers and telecoms companies.
“Consumers are limiting their phone use in extreme ways, and this makes no sense for the companies, either.”

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[Networks] are having to make some fairly significant investments in 4G networks across Europe”

Matthew HowettAnalyst

Ms Kroes added: “Millions of businesses face extra costs because of roaming, and companies like app makers lose revenue, too. Roaming makes no sense in a single market – it’s economic madness.”

Telecoms analyst Matthew Howett told the BBC: “I don’t think the findings are that surprising. Customers can come back to nasty bill shocks when they use their phone abroad.”
Facebook snubFor the UK, the study data suggested that as many as 37% of British travellers turn off their phones when outside the country.
Across Europe, the Commission’s study suggested that 94% avoided using Facebook and Twitter when in an EU country other than their own, and 70% of people who call other EU countries limit the amount of time they spend doing so.
The European Commission argues that this behaviour is hurting other businesses, such as the creators of app makers with travel guides, and that networks are in fact missing out on revenue by not lowering their prices to a level where consumers feel comfortable.
In the past year, the commission has stepped up its efforts to force mobile networks to drop charges for customers while they are travelling around the continent.

Three says mobile phone users fear extra charges while abroad

In September, it announced its intention to scrap roaming charges entirely by 2016.
Before then, charges for receiving incoming calls are “on course” to be ditched. The current estimate is July this year.
One mobile network in the UK, Three, described the proposal as a “big mistake”.
Mr Howett said many of the networks had been left frustrated by the proposals, which come at a time of massive spending on infrastructure.
“They are having to make some fairly significant investments in 4G networks across Europe,” he said.
“By giving [the networks] this quite lethal kick at this time it is quite painful for them, as they’re trying to invest.”
The final proposals must be approved by the 28 EU members and European lawmakers before they can be put into effect.
The European Commission said it hoped to end roaming charges altogether by 2016.