Mike Benner: When "Broadband" isn't enough

When "Broadband" isn't enough

Aug 7 by Michael Benner

Someone the other day said, "Atleast we aren't stuck on dial up". But you know what, with all the gizmos and gadgets requiring internet access and wirelessly at that, I kind of feel like I am.

You see over the last few days both my wife and I have said, "Wow, must be a slow internet day". No we don't have a finicky connection and yes we are on a "ultra high speed" cable connection with "Speed Booster", but then it dawned on me. We have so much demand it is no wonder the connection is slow. Here is what we have going at any one time around our house:

1. Media Center PC downloading guide and updates 2. Laptop streaming a Zune subscription and suffering the web 3. Laptop uploading files for work, streaming audio/video and surfing 4. Laptop/Desktop surfing and downloading movies/podcasts to watch later 5. 2 Xbox 360s downloading TV, Movies, Games and actually gaming 6. PS3 downloading games, trailers, checking email and gaming 7. PSP gaming or surfing the web 8. DS gaming or surfing the web 9. 2 Vonage VOIP lines 10. iPhone checking email, etc

I believe that is it, but with the soon to come IPTV on Xbox 360, the usage will only continue to increase and yet I see the stall on high speed internet speed increases. This concerns me, while I realize I am techno junkie and an early adopter, it is getting to the point were I will have to stop or be frustrated with "SLOW" internet.

Please were is the fiber to every house and the huge speed we are seeing elsewhere in the world? I need more bandwidth, I want to see IPTV, VOIP and OnDemand Web Movies succeed, but I really think we need to up the speeds, I feel like I am heading back to the days of dial up, yes a much more animated, connected version, but still the same level of frustration.

With the "On Hold" status of Google/EarthLink WiFi in San Francisco I am not sure who will lead us into the future, maybe 3G and future versions of wireless from cell companies, will the cable companies become like the phone companies of old? Did they not learn from the Bell's mistakes of not adopting and adapting new business models and technologies? This is a call for someone to step and bring this great nation up to speed with the rest of the world and the speed of which they access the wonderful thing call the internet.