Note: This column represents the opinions
of the writer and as such, is not purported as fact
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I've noticed an increasing number of people, including some in the media,
who have taken to using the word "Jetstream" as a pseudonym for broadband.
It's fairly easy to understand why this might be happening -- after all,
unless you're lucky enough to live in one of the very few areas where
there is an alternative, Telecom's Jetstream product *is* the only real
broadband option in New Zealand.
Now, before readers fill my mailbox with reminders that other companies
such as IHUG, Telstra and Walker Wireless all have broadband options
available, I should point out that most of these are only able to be accessed
within a very small geographical region.
Check Out The Aardvark PC-Based Digital
Entertainment Centre Project
Updated 2-Dec-2002
Most of those folks who live in smaller NZ cities or in the countryside still
have a choice of Jetstream or nothing -- and the outlook for change is bleak.
I notice in today's news wires that, yet again, the prospect of broadband
over power lines is being touted but we've heard that dozens of times
before.
From memory, there were even tests somewhere in the South Island, yet they
seem to have come to nothing.
I also see that Walker Wireless continue to appear in the media and today
is no exception. Bob Smith's smiling escutcheon graces the pages of the NZ
Herald along with the news that the company's Auckland trials are a success.
This must be great news right?
After all, surely some real competition will drive down the price of broadband
access?
Well the "access" component may be slightly cheaper -- but we're still stuck
with the same old problem of data caps.
Even more paradoxical, it seems that the faster the service you buy from
Walker Wireless, the less data you get included in the standard package.
However, the availability of portable IP wireless modems that work at the
same price as their tethered equivalents might just knock Telecom's own
Jetstream Mobile
for a six -- but only for those users who intend to stay within the Walker Wireless
coverage area.
Will Telecom adjust its pricing to compete?
I doubt it very much.
The days of widely available, "cheap" broadband are still a very long way
off I'm afraid.
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Although the very kind folks at iHug continue to generously sponsor the
publication of Aardvark, the bills still exceed the income by a fairly
significant amount. It is with this in mind therefore that I'm once
again soliciting donations from anyone who feels they're getting some
value from this daily column and news index. I've gone the PayPal
way of accepting donations because the time involved in processing a bunch
of little credit-card billings sometimes exceeds the monetary value they
represent. Just click on the button to donate whatever you can afford.
NOTE: PayPal bills in US dollars so don't accidentally donate twice
what you were intending :-)
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