[Gllug] To LLU or Not to LLU?

[Dylan]

On Wednesday 01 April 2009, Richard Jones wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 01:34:47PM +0000, Peter Corlett wrote:
> > Could you explain to this bear of little brain why a residential property
> > requires gigabit Internet access,
>
> Here are a few ideas which hopefully go beyond the usual "everyone
> should be able to download porn/hollywood movies/play MMORPGs"
> arguments:

I could add to this:

>
> (3) UK universities should both broadcast live and make available
> their old lectures online for free.  The technology exists to do this.
> Why not let interested people study at home?

Schools also, to allow sick or disabled students to remain in contact with 
their school community; to allow the wider community a level of involvement; 
etc ...

>
> (4) The future we don't know.

distance medical advice and colaboration (by allowing highly trained and thus 
expensive specialists to assess tests etc without a seriously ill or disabled 
patient necessarily having to travel to a centre of excellence, or remote 
expertise to be accessed in emergenciy situations)

In addition to the BBC archive, there are the National Receiving Libraries, 
museums and art galleries who have huge archives of their own which should be 
publicly available.

Provision of services and information to the sick and disabled ...


>
> In the future, I don't know, but it will be equally dramatic.  Maybe
> people will collaborate in their spare time to make films and music?
> Or we'll be able to have thousands of people meeting virtually to
> discuss politics directly with their MPs?

Streaming of all Parliamentry business.

>
> > and how the killer app that requires this expects to cover the cost
> > of building-out all the infrastructure and ongoing maintenance?
>
> The UK hasn't been afraid of capital projects before: canals,
> railways, roads, airports, all cost billions (or the equivalent of
> "billions" at the time).  All brought huge benefits.

Indeed, I would argue that the infrastructure should never have been bundled 
with the service provision in the first place. Only if the owners of the 
wires and the providers of the services are separate can we hope to prevent 
the sort of obstructive and (arguably) anti-competitive practices whe 
currently have to endure.

Dx

-- 
“ ‘... but there is so much else behind what I say. It makes itself known to 
me so slowly, so incompletely! ...’ ”
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