News
18/06/2010
IN THE NEWS: Easynet Connect - Network Reliability
Managing Director of Easynet Connect, Chris Stening has released his views on the current issue of high-speed internet access, for the IoD News.
"The issue of high-speed internet access for everyone is currently the hottest technology topic on the political agenda. The next hurdle is the debate between 'moderate access for all' versus 'high-speed access for most people'. We believe this debate ignores how businesses use the internet and how reliant they are on it.
The argument for universal access at moderate speeds critically overlooks the difference between consumer and business demand. Consumers use their broadband connections for activities such as shopping, watching on-demand video or using social media - most of there services can be acessed with relatively low-bandwidth asymmetric connections (such as asymmetric digital subscriber lines).
Business users, on the other hand, rely on shared internet connections, online collaboration software, cloud computing, file sharing and video conferencing. These require not only greater bandwidth, but also a symmetrical service that is scalable, as well as reliable (such as symmetric digital subscriber lines or fibre). So while a moderate service for all might be sufficient for consumers' needs today - the same benchmark is totally inadequate for most businesses.
The argument for high-speed access for some users is also unsatisfactory. As businesses discover more internet-enabled services, their bandwidth demands inevitably rise. Businesses will always want and use more speed - that is a constant. But what is becoming increasingly important is their reliance on the internet in line with technological advances. For instance, we know that by the end of this year, half of UK SMEs will be using cloud computing. In order to support services like these, the reliability of the connection, and not its speed will be their number one priority.
Instead of setting up a dichotomy between moderate universal access,, and high speed access, the internet must continue to support and drive UK business. For this, network reliability is key. In April this year, 81 percent of SMEs told us they could not survive for longer than a day without internet access.
By just focusing on universality and speed, we are looking at the cause, and not the effect, of a successful internet infrastructure. If internet access is to be judged and measured by just one factor, it should be on its ongoing ability to keep Britain moving"
Chris Stening was writing for the IoD News (June 2010). For more information, please visit www.iod.com.
