Posted: 18th Mar, 2003 By: MarkJ
The UK government has quietly clarified the true definition of a broadband technology, although their chosen method appears to confuse more than it clarifies:
On 11 March the Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government whether it had "arrived at a conclusive definition of broadband in respect of data transfer speeds for (a) the commercial market; and (b) the residential market".
In reply, DTI man Lord Sainsbury of Turville said: "The Government view broadband as a generic term describing a range of technologies operating at various data transfer speeds."
In other words, the Government's line is that if it's marketed as broadband, then it is broadband.WOW! That means this lowly 56Kbps modem connection could, officially, be a broadband technology; we're so pleased. Hay, how about a 9.6Kbps GSM mobile phone modem? Yes - why not!
The government has done it again; they've managed to achieve 100% broadband coverage by developing a description that can be applied to almost anything. More @
The Register.