[LINK] Indonesia Overtaking Australia with Wireless Internet

Richard Chirgwin rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au
Mon Jun 6 12:15:42 AEST 2011


On 6/06/11 11:46 AM, Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
> Richard Chirgwin wrote:
>> On 6/06/11 9:08 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:
>>> Richard Chirgwin wrote:
> <snip>
>>> Many people in developing nations already have mobile phones and 
>>> know what the Internet is. If you offer them a very high speed fibre
>>> optic connection they will not shout "White man's magic!" and bow down
>>> in gratitude. They will say: "How much will it cost? 
>> ...cellular broadband access is more expensive, by a long way, than 
>> fixed network access. You could add a small premium onto NBN access 
>> and that statement will still be true.
> <snip>
> Assuming you are talking about dollars. When you say cost - do you mean
> price to customer, or cost of provision?
Cost to customer, per downloaded gigabyte for wireless is much than on 
fixed networks. Quick example: about $16 per gig on prepaid from Voda 
right now on a $199 recharge, compared to $2 per gig on TPG on a $29.99 
plan.
>
> The difficulty we have with Wire good Wireless bad - is the evidence. 
I didn't say "wire good wireless bad". I'm saying that both exist, and 
that wireless is not an appropriate replacement for the NBN.
> When
> we compare the size of the Wireless TV and Radio audience to the cabled
> one, or the uptake in wireless vs cabled telephones, we end up with 
> the opposite conclusion.
In other words, different technologies suit different applications; even 
if the examples are so far different to a discussion of computer network 
technologies as to be non-sequitur.

RC
>
> Yesterday, I had an amusing experience of turning up with my 3G 
> connection
> and asking for electricity. The automatic response was "there is 
> WiFi". As
> the response was being uttered, the question was comprehended and the 
> power socket was subsequently pointed out.
>
> Maybe one day computers will be as energy efficient as radios (and 
> watches
> once were). Otherwise we will just have to build a few more coal or 
> nuclear
> power stations.
>
>> A windup radio or clockwork radio is a radio that is powered by human 
>> muscle power rather than batteries or the electrical grid. In the 
>> most common arrangement, an internal electrical generator is run by a 
>> mainspring, which is wound by a hand crank on the case. Turning the 
>> crank winds the spring, and a full winding will allow several hours 
>> of operation. Alternatively, the generator can charge an internal 
>> battery.[1]
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windup_radio>
>
> Marghanita
> PS one of the issues in developing (and developed countries, whose power
> generation is ageing/exceeding peak capacity), is unreliable 
> electricity supplies.





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