Japan Broadband Update

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Tim Onosko <tim () onosko com>
Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2003 07:27:39 -0600
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Japan Broadband Update

Dave:

I got back last week from Japan, and I was again shocked at the fast pace
that broadband is making there.  In my opinion, this rapid advance is at
least in part the result of Japan being somewhat shamed by the
extraordinary penetration of broadband into neighboring Korea, and that
broadband is a rare growth opportunity in an otherwise stagnant
economy.  An interesting sidebar of all this is that Japan is also well on
its way to making wired telephone service a low-cost/no-cost commodity via
broadband IP telephony.

The link below is to an eye-opening Nikkei piece that debates the merits of
ADSL over FTTH (Fiber to the Home)..  Some interesting facts from this
piece:  ADSL is available to 95% of Japanese homes, and FTTH available to
("only") 64%!  Many if not most ADSL homes enjoy 12 Mbps service, and 24
Mbps service will become a reality in 2003.  And 100 Mbps FTTH service
currently costs JPY5400 per month (USD$45) and friends tell me that will
drop by almost 20% next month.  It's very cool to see billboards on Tokyo's
fashionable Aoyama-Dori advertising  NTT's 100 Mbps broadband service next
to ads for cosmetics and couture.  By the way, this survey piece implies
that cable modem service has been left in the dust by both Fiber and DSL.

Here's the link:

http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/fw/239289

- Tim Onosko


------ End of Forwarded Message

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
  http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/