Access Providers

Internet access provider (IAP, or Internet service provider, ISP) employ a range of technologies to enable consumers to connect to their network. For "home users", the most popular options include dial-up, DSL (typically ADSL), Broadband wireless access, Cable modem, FTTH, and ISDN. For customers who have more demanding requirements, such as medium-to-large businesses, or other ISPs, DSL, Ethernet, Metro Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Frame Relay, ISDN, ATM, satellite Internet access and SONET are more likely. With the increasing popularity of downloading music and online video and the general demand for faster page loads, higher bandwidth connections are becoming more popular. Read the full background at Access Providers Wikipedia

Featured Blogs

Mobile's Need for Fibre

It was interesting to see that in New Zealand Vodafone had second thoughts and decided to come up with its own proposal of forming a consortium of network operators, rather than simply supporting the government's announcement of its FttH plans. Our analysis of this change of mind is that mobile operators increasingly need fibre networks to sustain the enormous growth in mobile broadband. Most mobile stations around the world are not connected to a fibre network. more»

More Questions About WSJ Claims of Iran DPI

The Wall Street Journal's dubious story about Iran's use of Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) for spying, censorship and disinformation appears in a highly charged atmosphere. The US Republican right wing wants the US to talk tougher to Iran, to bomb-bomb-bomb, invade, or commit "regime change." More questions than mine have surfaced about the WSJ's story... more»

Next Generation Telecoms: FttH and Trans-Sector Strategies

The deployment of Fiber to the Home (FttH) around the world is beginning to lead to exciting developments for the next generation of telecommunications. In particular, infrastructure based on FttH is providing the foundation for smart communities and cities where a number of technologies and services are combined to create an enhanced value proposition for residents. Smart homes connected to these networks can utilise services such as tele-health, e-education and e-government as well as access digital media and high speed Internet. more»

Digital Britain in Summary: Taxes for an Insufficient Network Lacking a Broader Vision

Lord Carter's Digital Britain report contains few surprises given that its essential thrust has been much discussed during the past six months. What remains unequivocal is that the report and its (political) backers trumpet a national broadband network which promises to deliver an insufficient network. It also lacks a broader vision... more»

Iran and the Internet: Uneasy Standoff

We've received enough interest about our previous notes on Iranian Internet connectivity that I wanted to give a brief update, and some reflections. In short: Iran is still on the Internet. As the crisis deepens, people are literally risking their lives by continuing to use the Internet for coordination and communication. more»

A Closer Look at Iran's State of Internet, Strange Transit Changes in Wake of Controversial Election

Many media sources have reported outages in Iranian mobile networks and Internet services in the wake of Friday's controversial elections. We took a look at the state of Iranian Internet transit, as seen in the aggregated global routing tables, and found that the story is not as clear-cut as has been reported. There's no question that something large happened in the Iranian telecom space, and that the timing aligns with the close of voting and the emerging controversy... more»

It's Official: Value Moving to Edge

It's official. A team of market analysts from Oppenheimer are saying [PDF] what I've been saying since 1997, that the apps are separating from the network, and this is driving a wave of "explosive innovation." more»

Verizon Mandates IPv6 Support for Next-Gen Cell Phones

Cell phone carriers have seen a huge growth in wireless data usage. The iPhone is selling like hotcakes, and its users generate large amounts of traffic. Not surprisingly, as cellular providers deploy faster network technologies, users generate even more data... more»

"It's The Internet Stupid" …I Respectfully Disagree

Today, in response to "It’s The Internet Stupid", Richard Bennett highlights (on the IP List) something I've noticed even among other advocates of 'Net Neutrality' (and how I've come to detest the term after its widespread and misguided overuse). Legislating against the concepts of Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) or other preferential treatment of packets is not the brightest thing to do. I've seen others draw analogies to gun control using the 'guns don't kill people' argument... more»

Free Broadband: The Shape of Things to Come

The UK's broadband market is one of the most competitive in Europe. The DSL network effectively covers the entire country, while the network of the dominant cable provider Virgin Media covers more than half of all households (about 12.6 million homes). Beginning in 2007, Virgin Media expanded the availability of its services not by increasing the footprint of its cable network but by utilising wholesale LLU services... more»

News Briefs

Democracy Now Video Reporting on Iran's European Aided Internet Monitoring Capabilities

Nokia Denies Helping Iran With Internet Monitoring Capabilities

FCC Launched Investigation Into Exclusive Handset Deals

Comcast Announces IPv6 Availability for Wholesale Customers

Canadian Government Proposes Mandated Surveillance Capabilities at ISPs

Canadian Wireless Carriers to Launch Mobile Payment Service

Google Praises Canada for "Keeping the Internet Awesome"

Canada Will Keep Internet Unregulated to Help Keep Innovation Alive

FCC Releases Report on Rural Broadband Strategy, Net Neutrality Key Says Chairman

Survey Finds Travelers Prefer Wi-Fi to Other Essentials Such as Food

Bandwidth Buyers Face Significant Price Differences in the Global Market

Widespread Google Outages Confirmed

Three Strikes Law Against Internet Piracy Approved in France

More Calls for Punishing Illegal File Sharers Through ISPs

UK Government Rules Out Content Monitoring But Will Track Who, When, Where and How of Communications

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DPI is Not a Four-Letter Word!

Comcast is Right, the FCC is Wrong

Hunting Unicorns: Myths and Realities of the Net Neutrality Debate

No Fines for Comcast

In Praise of Relatively Dumb Pipes

Industry Updates

Expanding Internet Access Driving Software Piracy, Study Says

The global software piracy rate rose to 41% in 2008 from 38% in 2007, costing rights owners an exchange-rate adjusted $50 billion, according to a joint study between the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and IDC released last week. One of the factors driving greater piracy is increased high-speed Internet access, particularly in emerging markets where piracy rates are the highest. ›››

IP Rights in Digital Environment Key Element of Proposed Treaty

Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released a summary of the key elements of the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which aims to establish international standards for enforcing IP rights to more effectively combat counterfeiting and piracy. ›››

eComm Programme Guide Now Available

The 2nd Emerging Communications Conference starts tomorrow. Registration is still open; the programme guide has been produced and can now be downloaded in PDF format. ›››

eComm 2009 Event Next Week: Defining the Post-Telecom Era

If you can be in San Francisco next week, don't miss eComm 2009, the Emerging Communications Conference on 3-5 March. eComm is the world's leading-edge telecom, Internet communications and mobile innovation event.  ›››

NeuStar Names Steven Edwards General Manager, Senior Vice President of Converged Addressing Services

Edwards will lead NeuStar's ENUM-related business initiatives, including WMRS, the wireless message routing service; SIP-IX, which enables direct network-to-network peering via Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based technologies; and NRS, the number resolution service that NeuStar manages on behalf of the GSM Association. ›››

Hostway to Offer Cable Companies Additional Revenue Streams at NCTA's Cable Show '08

Hostway will participate in the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's Cable Show '08 as an exhibitor offering attendees additional revenue streams through its white label Web hosting program. ›››