Cisco Systems
Government Affairs
www.cisco.com/gov
What is
Broadband?
Definitions of broadband vary
widely. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), broadband
means transmission capacity that is faster than primary rate ISDN
(i.e. 1.5 or 2 Mbps).
The FCC
chose 200 Kbps at its definition for broadband because, in their view, it is
enough to provide the most popular forms of broadband to change Web pages as
fast as one can flip through the pages of a book and to transmit full-motion
video. Notwithstanding these definitions, the term tends to be
widely used simply as shorthand for high speed, always-on Internet
access.
Who are the world Broadband
leaders?
It
is projected by eMarketer that at the end of 2001, 80%, or 20.7 million of the
estimated 26 million global broadband subscribers, came from five countries: the
US, Canada, South Korea, Germany and Japan. Based
on other studies the US is projected to fall to 9th by 2005.
The top 5 countries, by number of subscribers
(in thousands and by % of total households):
U.S.A
10,000 (9.52%)
Korea
5,800 (40.00%)
Canada
1,900 (16.24%)
Germany
1,500 (3.94%)
Japan
1,500 (3.36%)
Where does Broadband
prosper?
Broadband has prospered in
countries where national and regional governments have set aggressive targets,
investment in infrastructure is encouraged and the regulatory environment
isconducive to competition. According to eMarketer, countries such as the UK,
Australia and even the U.S., where there is a high penetration of "dial-up"
access, may miss the broadband boat unless further competition is encouraged in
the "last mile" and broadband becomes more affordable.
What role does Government
play in Broadband rollout?
Governments have an
important role to play in fostering broadband penetration. South Korea and
Canada lead the world in terms of broadband penetration, and one of the major
reasons for their leadership has been the active role the respective governments
have played. The Canadian
government, through its National Broadband Task Force, released a report that
outlines the guiding principles the government can play in fostering broadband
penetration. The overeaching principle of the report is that all Canadians
should have equitable and affordable access to broadband networks and to the
widest possible range of content and service providers.
The
specific role governments can play is through: fostering
competition, developing effective regulatory environments, assisting communities
in exploiting opportunities, ensuring effective utilization of broadband in
government services, stimulating the development and availability of local
content and services, promoting awareness of broadband infrastructure and
services, providing broadband infrastructure assistance to communities where
required. The benefits of broadband
are many and varied. While the private sector will take a leadership role in the
development of broadband networks and services, the role of governments should
not be underestimated.
How much bandwidth do I
need?
The
bandwidth required for specific applications is a great way to understand what
applications are currently feasible and what applications need more
bandwidth.
Tele-working:
Minimum: 110Kbs
Ideal: 1.5Mbs to 7Mbs
Videoconferencing:
Minimum: 110Kbs
Ideal: 800Kbs
Tele or E-Learning:
Minimum: 110Kbs
Ideal: 1.5Mbs to 7Mbs
Tele-Medicine:
Minimum: 110Kbs
Ideal: 1.5Mbs to 7Mbs
Video Telephony:
Minimum: 70Kbs
Ideal: 200Kbs
Near Video on Demand:
Minimum: 1Mbs
Ideal: 1.5Mbs to 7Mbs
Movies on Demand:
Minimum: 1Mbs
Ideal: 1.5Mbs to 7Mbs
Audio on Demand:
Minimum: 110Kbs
Ideal: 700 Kbs
Telegaming:
Minimum: 40Kbs
Ideal: 600 Kbs
Home Shopping:
Minimum: 40Kbs
Ideal: 1.5Mbs to 7Mbs
Electronic Banking:
Minimum: 40Kbs
Ideal: 400Kbs
Electronic Newspapers:
Minimum: 40Kbs
Ideal: 2Mbs
Digital Television:
Minimum: 1Mbs
Ideal: 7Mbs
(Canada Broadband Task
Force)
More about
Broadband:
For more information, please
see: