Ultra Fast Broadband

**The Stranger:Me** · 25th May 2011, 10:22

Ok, so we're about to get all these wonderful speeds, download a movie in a minute. Wow, awesome!!
The newspapers are waxing on about how great this is going to be and I see example after example of speed comparrisons and cost comparrisons.
All very wonderful right?

What I haven't seen yet is ANY indication of data caps.

Does that mean that there are none?
Somehow I'm way to sceptical to make that assumption.
Though if they do remain in their present form it would be a 1.35 billion white elephant for the average NZer as in a few minutes you could blow your data caps to hell.

So does anyone have any knowledge of whether or not caps will remain in place or not? Assuming they do are they likely to be revised from there currently extortionate position? Will they drop the current double dipping on local data transfers?

**yod** · 25th May 2011, 10:43

Originally Posted by The Stranger

......are they likely to be revised from there currently extortionate position?

Only if the commerce commission forces them to. My guess anyway.....

**James Deuce** · 25th May 2011, 10:49

They'll need to drop them because the rest of the world has, simply in response to the way broadcast media is changing and will have to change. Even the current Freeview model will be gone a lot sooner than analogue broadcasting lasted. I give it 10-15 years total.

**Bald Eagle** · 25th May 2011, 10:54

Originally Posted by The Stranger

What I haven't seen yet is ANY indication of data caps.

Data caps will be with us for a long time, they might be giving you a bigger pipe but they're always going to 'control' the volume - it's the revenue for no cost part of the ISP business that makes it so profitable.

**oneofsix** · 25th May 2011, 10:55

Originally Posted by James Deuce

They'll need to drop them because the rest of the world has, simply in response to the way broadcast media is changing and will have to change. Even the current Freeview model will be gone a lot sooner than analogue broadcasting lasted. I give it 10-15 years total.

sad thing is ISPs in the USA are looking to impose data caps.
Also you have super dupa speed from your ISP to your home but that doesn't directly translate to super speeds sucking down that movie or Linux ISO.

**James Deuce** · 25th May 2011, 11:00

Originally Posted by oneofsix

sad thing is ISPs in the USA are looking to impose data caps.
Also you have super dupa speed from your ISP to your home but that doesn't directly translate to super speeds sucking down that movie or Linux ISO.

You're dead right, but that's because they've cottoned on to being the default transport medium of choice. Regulation will be required to control or broadcasters will need to be paying a portion of advertising revenue to ISPs to ensure free access to their product.

A download is only as fast as its weakest link.

**Mental Trousers** · 25th May 2011, 11:01

Originally Posted by oneofsix

Also you have super dupa speed from your ISP to your home but that doesn't directly translate to super speeds sucking down that movie or Linux ISO.

That's about right. The bastards are always going to claim that there's not enough international bandwidth so data caps are required to prevent saturation etc. Unfortunately, that is mostly true (but not the entire truth of the matter).

**mattman141** · 25th May 2011, 13:39

Have a look at this:http://pacificfibre.net/

**cbfb** · 25th May 2011, 13:49

Originally Posted by The Stranger

Ok, so we're about to get all these wonderful speeds, download a movie in a minute. Wow, awesome!!

Actually was listening to Radio NZ the other day, doesn't sound as if the speeds will be wonderful at all (well not unless you want to remortgage your house that is). The packages sounded pretty average tbh.

**The Stranger:Me** · 25th May 2011, 14:08

Originally Posted by Mental Trousers

That's about right. The bastards are always going to claim that there's not enough international bandwidth so data caps are required to prevent saturation etc. Unfortunately, that is mostly true (but not the entire truth of the matter).

Fine, but what's the bottleneck on local traffic?
If I transfer a file to me from the USA my ISP charges me once for the privilege of using their expensive international pipe. OK I guess.

If I send that file to you it doesn't use their international pipe and they get to charge twice (both you and me) for you to receive that same file. It would be cheaper for you to use their expensive limited international link than obtain it locally.

I feel that there is something inequitable about that, probably more so as it is stifling innovation.

**Bald Eagle** · 25th May 2011, 14:12

The real sneaky bit in the equation is the use of 'transparent proxy servers'. Mr smith in Gore downloads a youtube clip. The ISP transparently caches it on their NZ server. The next 200 or more local users download it ( from the transparent proxy ) and get charged the International traffic cost of it.

Nice multi clipping of all the traffic.

**SMOKEU** · 25th May 2011, 14:15

If data caps are imposed, then they should be offering at least 100GB per month for an affordable price. I've got 40GB per month and most of that is gone within a week.

**Bald Eagle** · 25th May 2011, 14:17

There should not be any such thing as a data cap.

It would be like your local council ( if you are unfortunate to have a water meter) telling you how many gallons of water you could use in a month.

Bandwidth limits and data caps are a profit driven business ideal. There is no technical reason existing copper can't do the sort of speeds they are 'promising' with new ultra fast products. It's a case of up-grades for profit versus improvements for customers.