MillsMash

David Cameron has recently stated that:

“Fibre optic broadband is changing the way people work and do business, and it has the potential to completely transform our economy.

“It could open up new markets for our creative industries, promote innovation, create new, family-friendly jobs as people can work from home - and help reduce carbon emissions.”

Really? What in the same way that we would have paperless offices and remote working within the last 10 years? I’m curious as to what basis he makes this claim.  I don’t see that fibre will bring anything other than a faster more reliable internet service. It will allow for IPTV, IP Telephony and a better on-line experience overall. As for working from home, current broadband allows for this and for the vast majority of what people need in as such that they can:

• receive and send large emails with attachments,
• use skype and other comms programs even with video
• remote desktop into work computers
• use online services such as salesforce.com, google docs etc

What would Fibre-to-the-home give them that they have not already got? And even with broadband things have not improved  within family life. In fact with faster connections, blackberries and the like it seems that people are working longer and harder causing a larger drain on the individual and the family. You could argue that faster ubiquitous communications are actually putting a great strain on familys as we all spend more time in front of the computer and not interacting with each other.

Businesses definately need faster internet connections as more and more personnel use the company connections for work and pleasure. Homes also need faster internet connections as more devices come online, with more laptops in the home and soon more appliances ‘needing’ internet connections we do need more bandwidth. I’m all for faster internet and Fibre-to-the-home but it won’t make the massive impact that Cameron is promising. Just another headline grabbing political gimmick!