Robert Mullins, IDG News Service (12.27.06)
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;727534747
The increasing popularity of high bandwidth sites means a larger push for higher quality high speed broadband access. Technology industry experts meeting in Silicon Valley recently said broadband Internet access in the U.S. needs to improve for the "
YouTube generation" to really flourish.
An improved broadband network will better serve users of sites such as YouTube.com, at which millions of videos from the general public are shared online. YouTube was acquired earlier this year by Google, and Verizon Wireless announced in November plans to offer YouTube videos over its wireless phone network.
Although the U.S. broadband penetration rate topped 75 percent of households in September and is expected to reach 80 percent by the end of 2006, according to WebSiteOptimization.com, China is expected to surpass the U.S. as its broadband base grows rapidly. But more importantly, says Mossberg, U.S. broadband networks are generally slower than those in other countries. Faster connections will be needed to deliver full-motion video to portable devices. Services that deliver as little as 768 kilobits per second (Kbps) are considered broadband in the U.S., while services in Europe and elsewhere are much faster.
Panelists said 2007 will see more growth of on-demand content, such as music videos, television shows and movies, and more demand for easier connectivity between devices.
The growth of sites like YouTube is creating "massive amounts of content and there is going to be a continuing need to take and distribute that content. That will spur innovation of more consumer devices," said Chad Hurley, cofounder of YouTube.
No comments:
Post a Comment