Fibre As Standard to All New Homes

[engine]

UK's Goverment says full fibre connections should be standard in all new homes.
They are still talking about it, but, we might finally be getting some momentum.

Government statistics suggest only 4% of UK premises have a full-fibre link - compared to 79% in Spain and 95% in Portugal.

[bbc.co.uk...]

[keyplyr]

Is the UK really so far behind the US?

High Speed Broadband Cable (fiber) has been standard for all metro areas and many rural areas across the US for years. The buzz that *we* keep hearing is universal WiFi Standard and/or Microwave.

[lucy24]

I believe they’re talking about physical installation in all new construction, in the same way that new buildings everywhere in the industrialized world have sewer lines, water connections and electrical wiring.

[keyplyr]

Yes, I got that.

[lucy24]

It is possible that you’ve got an exaggerated idea of internet connectivity in the US as a whole, possibly colored by the fact that you live in the second-largest metropolitan area in the country.

[keyplyr]

Look back at my reply... I made a direct comparison between the UK and the US. That's the way comparisons work.

Now if I said I couldn't understand why everyone is so far behind the US, that would be different and probably a jaded opinion.

Actually, AFAIK there are many areas of the EU where the speeds are faster, but just here and there. I think as a whole, the US is likely to have more broadband customers than other parts of the world.

BTW - I don't "live in the second-largest metropolitan area in the country".

I live at the beach :)

[robzilla]

95% full-fibre in Portugal? That's impressive. (Hard to believe, even!)

new buildings everywhere in the industrialized world have sewer lines, water connections and electrical wiring.

It's certainly easier to put in fibre optic cable while you're at it, than to have to put them in later, so I do think that should be standard, particularly in new neighborhoods. Full-fibre adoption here has been slow, most people are satisfied with cable speeds (network is all fibre except for the last mile) and ISPs are reluctant to invest in fibre-to-the-home without the certainty of people signing up in advance (which is why people who really want it basically have to go door-to-door to collect signatures). I live in an old city, doubt it's going to happen any time soon.

[tangor]

Sounds like new construction in UK is getting updated. This is a good thing. As noted above, to include usual utilities such as water, sewer, gas or electric. Adding communications is a plus and SHOULD be done on new construction at the same time as running pipe beneath the pad. :)

I live in the 4th largest metro area in USA ... only 35% is actually installed fiber, all the rest is either cable or adsl or wifi. Some of us are resistant to fiber as our current plans (12mb/s, 1tb month) are "fast enough" and about one third the fiber rate.

[keyplyr]

12mb/s

Movie apps require a minimum of 20mb for streaming. Guess you don't stream a lot of movies.

[keyplyr]

Just to be clear, where I'm at we don't use the term "fiber" (or "fibre") although Google uses the term in "Google Fiber" which never really took off in my city; too expensive and everyone already had connectivity.

There's coaxial cable and there's fiber optic cable. A few year back, all the coaxial cable was replaced with fiber optic cable... so we still call it all "cable."

But I think there still is coaxial cable in use in rural areas.

[tangor]

Movie apps require a minimum of 20mb for streaming. Guess you don't stream a lot of movies.

Actually, I don't ... I download them for future use, permanently.More than one way to skin a cat. :)

Then again, there's not that much out there worth downloading ... much less watching. They quit making entertainment sometime in the 1960s.

[not2easy]

There is a map available at the FCC: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/#/ that shows the level of Fixed Line Broadband across the USA. Adding it only because the topic seems to have drifted to that discussion. I don't think you will find too many cable providers in rural areas. Fixed line internet of any kind is highly concentrated in high population areas and outside of that there is not nearly the kind of speed, bandwidth or choice that city dwellers enjoy. Many rural areas do not even have wireless coverage.

I think it is great that there is at least a discussion of reaching full connectivity coverage at some point in the UK. It may take time to get there, but recognizing the importance is a start.

[lucy24]

Fixed line internet of any kind is highly concentrated in high population areas and outside of that there is not nearly the kind of speed, bandwidth or choice that city dwellers enjoy.

This is one area where the US and Canada--and perhaps Australia--are almost bound to lag behind Europe for the foreseeable future, simply because of the distances involved. I know from past experience that it's hard to get Europeans to grasp the concept of physical distance. But I hadn't realized how resistant some Americans are to the very concept of low population density. If your home works on a generator, a pump and a septic tank, an internet cable is not in your immediate future.

[keyplyr]

I hadn't realized how resistant some Americans are to the very concept of...

I'm thinking of installing a generator, a pump and a septic tank in my high rise condo just to give it that low population density feel.

[engine]

As with most of these things, if you live in a city you tend to get roll-outs of 4g/5g and firbre faster than outside. Ageing infrastructure, and a reluctance for business to spend if they don't have to, has, partially, brought this current situation.
I live in the countryside and we're lucky, they have fibre to the cabinet, which is not far away. My Net speeds, (and importantly, bandwidth) are not outstanding, but are perfectly adequate for streaming HD - that may change with 4k, but, hey, I don't watch that much TV.
As for 5g, you can forget it. I can only get 3g, and that's if i'm lucky. It's so variable it cannot be relied upon.

So, yes, the UK is way behind.

Building the infrastructure into new developments has taken far too long, imho. The same goes for solar harvesting.

[keyplyr]

I think it's a bit odd that while the tech conversation seems to be about no wires at all, the BBC reports about cable equipped homes as news.

Yes there will always be cable (fibre) from the satellite stations to the towers, but the preferred future standard is leaning toward no cables to residences.

My router will receive 5g and/or WiFi Certified. My TV receives WiFi. My phones, tablets and all other devices receive over the air. There just does not need to be cable very soon.

[Leosghost]

I think it's a bit odd that while the tech conversation seems to be about no wires at all, the BBC reports about cable equipped homes as news.

Yes there will always be cable (fibre) from the satellite stations to the towers, but the preferred future standard is leaning toward no cables to residences.

My router will receive 5g and/or WiFi Certified. My TV receives WiFi. My phones, tablets and all other devices receive over the air. There just does not need to be cable very soon.

::clears throat::

[bbc.com...]

5G and wi-fi are not the panacea ( does that change when plural ? ) that you may think they are.

[keyplyr]

I never alluded 5g and WiFi were a panacea. 5g and WiFi Certified are just the next steps.

5G will increase download speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. That's extremely fast compared to what everyone is used to. Fast enough to stream anything on our mobile devices.

Wi-Fi Certified devices can deliver five times or more speed and up to twice the range of older Wi-Fi standards.

These are the tech dialogues I hear in my area.

[martinibuster]

High Speed Broadband Cable (fiber) has been standard for all metro areas and many rural areas across the US for years.

Broadband Cable and Fiberoptic are two different things. If you are on cable, then you're on the old school cable infrastructure that's been in the United States since the 1980's.

Fiberoptic has super high bandwidth and is most definitely NOT in all metro areas and absolutely not in rural areas today, much less for years.

Fiberoptic is only in a very few areas. See this listing in Wikipedia for reference.
[en.wikipedia.org...]

[keyplyr]

Broadband Cable and Fiberoptic are two different things. If you are on cable, then you're on the old school cable infrastructure that's been in the United States since the 1980's.

Maybe you missed where I said [in my area]...

There's coaxial cable and there's fiber optic cable. A few year back all the coaxial cable was replaced with fiber optic cable... so we still call it all "cable." But I think there still is coaxial cable in use in rural areas.

[martinibuster]

That's all besides the point. The point is that fiber is not in every metro area and many rural location. Not at all.

Fiber to the home is still relatively rare. Additionally, some companies are running fiber to the last mile then switching to copper or cable to the home and calling that fiber, which it is not.

We rank in the top twenty somewhere, probably close to the UK.

My town is building out its own municipally owned true fiberoptic network. Rolling out fairly soon. Can't wait! :)

[keyplyr]

That's all besides the point. The point is that fiber is not in every metro area and many rural location.

The point is, you either misunderstood what I said, or you you are posting for some other reason.

I said cable (coaxial cable and/or fiber optic cable) is in every metro area. I don't know anyone that refers to fiber optic cable as "fiber." Everyone in my area calls it "cable" because it is.

Just to be clear, where I'm at we don't use the term "fiber" (or "fibre") although Google uses the term in "Google Fiber" which never really took off in my city

Anyway, I have no interest in arguing. Call it what you like.

[tangor]

Meet different people in different areas where the language (and understanding) is different. :) (ie, dead horse beating is not pretty)

My apartment complex was just recently re-wired for Fiber (that's what they call it). Actually is Double Copper capable of 1gig/s from the TRUNK, not the last "mile", though in this case it is the last 1250 feet. I know, measured it.

When offered the choice to switch from $40/m at 25mb/s (supposed standard, unfortunately my INTERNAL wiring actually restricts to 13.75mb/s and would have to be replaced AT MY COST TO THEIR SPECS) to the bright shiny NOT 100% FIBER 1gb/s for $80/m I asked, "Why?"

"So you can bundle our TV!" (sorry, don't what that kind of tv, it's not entertaining, educational, or even useful, thank you very much)

"So you can watch Movies!" (sorry, hasn't been a decent movie from an industry that went kittywhompass 40 years ago) "No thanks. I have my DVDs and YT has more than I can possibly watch if I live to be 35HUNDRED years old!"

"But what about all that music and and and ...."

Been there, done that, rip it if I need it, else listen to my CDs or again... YT whatever I need ... and STILL can't burn up 1TB of data each month.

What we ARE talking about is not the last mile, we are talking about the NON-URBAN areas ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD being left out of this new (apparently) ESSENTIAL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS tool. HUH? But that's what they really mean when they say: "We're moving ahead and these things will be required in all new construction!"

Great! For London or Liverpool, perhaps, but what about every hamlet and village 50 miles beyond the city limits? Same in the USA.

Cut-n-Shoot, Anuach, Nagadoces, Mineloa, Grapevine ("hamlets" in Texas) are lucky to have CABLE (old time coax) much less adsl. Heck, half of them can't develop enough interest for satellite!

@engine, good report on progress in the UK. Looking forward to much the same for the NON-URBAN areas of the USA, especially areas outside urban areas that think fiber or fiber assisted connections are "cable".

[engine]

What's interesting about this is the same problem applies wherever you live in the developed world, and a commercial decision is taken over the fibre and other methods of data delivery. They won't do it in outlying and country districts because it's commercially challenging. That applies to natural gas supplies, sewage, and even water supplies.

[tangor]

Exactly! :)

In the meantime the tech giants are working overtime to "connect everyone" ... and we will eventually see how that works out.

(Might get close if the "world" will build enough cell towers in the Outback, the Wandering, or the Vast Desert)