ISP Review looks at the possible future of broadband technologies

Powerline

Broadband Powerline technology, the art of using existing home/office power cables to deliver hi-speed Internet access, has been a long time coming. The past year has seen the first effective UK trial following several earlier attempts, which failed for numerous technological and regulatory reasons.

Thankfully Powerline is now proving to be both economically competitive and reliable in terms to speed and flexibility. Current implementations are quite capable of up to 1/2Mbps (symmetrical – same speed both ways), with 20Mbps services expected to be placed under trial in the not too distant future.

The advantage is clear to see, with the fundamental (required) structure being present inside most existing buildings. So, despite some lingering concerns over interference, Powerline’s greatest difficulty is likely to be its late entrance into the market. By the time it’s out of trial, ADSL will have dominated much of the UK.

Succeeding to a greater degree would require it to offer more for less than its competitors; not an easy task when most ordinary folk have enough trouble grasping ADSL – despite being inundated with waves for advertising.

To this day it remains a service under review, one whose future is uncertain, yet perhaps not doomed. We’re forced to wait until trials end and a direction becomes clear before clarity is possible.

The DISTANT Future

Many believe that a day will come when all our multimedia needs are met by combined (TV + Internet) network delivery platforms. To some degree cable and satellite networks already offer unrefined glimpses at such a future, yet more is possible.

The difficulty comes from knowing which technologies are most likely to last and therefore become viable choices for such a service. During early 2003 many felt that pure home ‘fibre’ networks (replacing BTs copper wires) were the solution, yet with xDSL’s lifespan having been extended through success, the future is suddenly uncertain again.

For all we know the growth and merging of different broadband wireless technologies could end up holding the crown. Certainly Wi-Fi and 3/4G mobile phones appear destined to meet, yet the ability to deliver high definition TV and affordable broadband services through such a system is still some way off.

Perhaps the biggest barrier is the operators themselves, the largest of which are unlikely to spend billions on replace aging copper wires with fibre lines if existing technologies continue to serve their purpose well and cost effectively.

Whatever the future holds, there will always be different technologies with their own unique advantage and disadvantages.

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