Gigabit Providers Not Focused on Apps – Study

The headline statement won’t be true until the real broadband apps are actually there because while you can predict a trend you can’t predict the future. Locking into broadband apps until real broadband is in place a while would be premature. I foresee a day when musicians will regularly collaborate in real time or near real time on the network, I see phone calls going video, but the ability and the openness comes first. You have to be open to get those true broadband apps propagated, and if you remain open you will have apps that foster “stickiness” for your network.
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From Jason Meyers, Light Reading:

The report, published by Broadbandtrends LLC , surveyed 88 service providers in various parts of the world (with a heavy focus on North America) about their plans for delivering gigabit broadband. Not surprisingly, the study credits Google Fiber Inc. ‘s announced intent in 2010 to enter the market with both raising consumer consciousness about gigabit services and catalyzing other providers. Google, the report suggests, sparked a race to save face.

“When we asked what the drivers were, it was interesting that being perceived as a tech leader was number one,” says Teresa Mastrangelo, principal analyst for Broadbandtrends. “It wasn’t about the speed at all. It wasn’t about future-proofing the network. It was about saying ‘We’re the first in this market,’ and being perceived as very forward-looking.”

It also wasn’t about identifying and fostering new or enhanced applications like gaming or high-definition telepresence, for example, that could fully leverage the speed of gigabit networks, Mastrangelo says. That’s significant, especially given widespread skepticism about the need for gigabit speeds — particularly in residential environments — and industry efforts to foster creation and development of gigabit-ready apps.

via Gigabit Providers Not Focused on Apps – Study | Light Reading.