Editorial
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ISSN 1477-8092
Inside information
In this issue , we mark the scorecard of the various routes to gigabit , and more , broadband . For many years this race has had a necessary velocity with those lagging behind being , rightly , castigated by many , including us .
Having good , fast , broadband connectivity is necessary for a healthy economy , healthy education , healthy culture , healthy society . Never was this clearer than in the pandemic ; imagine WFH or remote education on dial-up .
The pandemic also put into relief what should be the broadband focus now ; proper , fair accessibility – no notspots be they geographic , or economic .
There were fears at the beginning of lockdown that existing networks wouldn ’ t be able to cope ; some content providers even ‘ altruistically ’ reduced video quality to save space . I don ’ t think they mentioned it would also save them a lot of energy . And I ’ m not sure they ever turned the dial back-up .
And that ’ s the point ; how many people noticed ? How many broadband failures were there during the pandemic ? When you look at the consumer group reports it seems obvious that service providers – fixed and mobile – should focus more on providing an effective and affordable service to existing customers , than on constantly upping the speed .
The arms race for more and more speed should be declared over . Because speed isn ’ t free ; broadband isn ’ t just a pipe that once you ’ ve built it you can pour as much water down as it as you like with no addition to cost . And unlike water there ’ s no modulating the torrent with a tap . If 200 Mb is available on your network , it is available whether you are using it or not . And that matters because 200 Mb uses more power than 100 Mb . 5G provides more bandwidth , but it also uses more power .
Do we need more speed ? What are the applications that will really require it ? And , as important , what are the services sufficiently niche ( or unpopular ) that a threenines , not five or six nines , ‘ up ’ provision is more than good enough . If the provider is transparent about pricing and service , and speed , how many customers would be delighted with three nines for parts of their service ?
While the green debate around streaming and broadband is full of spun ( by which I mean inaccurate ) stats , from both sides of the argument , the fundamental truth is that higher capacity provision does use more power . And , therefore , the question ‘ do we really need it ?’ needs asking .
INSIDE
The Wrap 4-8 Cover Story 10-11 Company contribution 12-13 MENA Market Focus 14-18 Research 20-22
Editorial
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