Networks of the future under the spotlight at global broadband event
Networks of the future under the spotlight at global broadband event
Future network designs must be adapted to meet changing technology and different user needs, delegates at the Broadband World Forum heard.
The keynote speakers at the first day of the international event in Amsterdam focused on the need to provide better internet services for modern users who are growing up with mobile online access as standard.
Erik Hoving from Dutch company KPN said that current networks are designed for fixed internet access but future users will access the internet very differently, Telecoms reported.
He said: “We must change from innovating in the network to innovating on the network because the average smartphone user interacts with their device more than 150 times per day. Service providers do not have teenagers on their advisory boards yet; their knowledge of how the network is used is crucial to steering a telecoms operator.”
His remarks were echoed by Kevin Lo from Google Fiber, which has used fibre connections to enhance broadband speeds in parts of Kansas, Texas and Utah. He said that speeding up the network in Kansas City has resulted in more local technology employment than in the famed Silicon Valley.
Mr Lo told the forum that the next challenge is to create a new internet infrastructure capable of offering superfast speeds, and replace the previous set-up that has been “built bit by bit over the course of the last century”. He said it was a myth that people would not pay for better speeds and he is confident there is “huge consumer demand” for faster networks.
He called on local authorities to help with the process by allowing broadband providers to see maps of the existing infrastructure, including utilities they need to avoid, and by providing faster approvals for the construction of new networks.
“As a result, community driven local initiatives can make a big impact in bridging the digital divide,” said Mr Lo.
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