Abstract
This chapter suggests there is no new application to stimulate adoption of broadband by the mass market. Many new applications have been introduced but have not created the desired growth. One application that could have mass market attraction is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and it is the most likely killer application. But failure by major communications carriers to develop VoIP is slowing broadband penetration to this larger market segment. This resistance results from the risk to current carrier call revenue from VoIP, and that infrastructure to support high-speed broadband may not generate adequate revenue in the short term to satisfy shareholders or financial markets. No international standards have yet been set, and VoIP between the Internet platforms is not fully integrated. Also the multitude of broadband packages offered by the various competing carriers creates confusion in the mass market which, as a result, defers purchase decisions.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Video on Demand (VoD): Customer-selected commercial video and film delivery.
Customer Access Network (CAN): The wiring or cable link dedicated to communication customers from the local exchange to the customer premises.
Fiber To The Node (FTTN): The use of existing optical fiber to link the individual switching nodes within the communications network.
International Telecommunications Union (ITU): A union of the majority of the international communications providers dedicated to the development of communications and inter-exchange of technology and standard setting.
Telecommunications Society of Australia (TSA): The society established and supported by all of the competing and developing communications operations in Australia.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): Usually a commercial organization selling access to the Internet.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL): The CAN modified to carry digital as opposed to analog signals.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): The European body established to support free trade and cooperation across all the member countries.
Telecommunications Journal of Australia (TJA): The quarterly journal supported and published by the communications industry in Australia.
Australian Competition and Communications Commission (ACCC): The government body established to regulate the industry and ensure fair competition in the Australian market. Similar to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Office of Communication (OFCOM) in the UK.
European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI): The regulatory body established to ensure common international communications standards to enable country-to-country communication.
Blogs: Web logs, personal diaries, comments, or other material posted on the network by individual broadband users for comment or information.
Internet Platform: A server used by an Internet provider to support Internet access by their customers.
Television over DSL (TVoDSL): Television broadcasting or data cast television delivered over broadband DSL lines.
Fiber To The Home (FTTH): The use of optical fiber as a replacement for the standard copper CAN wiring.
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP): The transmission of voice communication across the Internet using data packaging technology.