VoIP News: October 2009

Of all the towns, cities and regions within the UK, 68 have a high level of broadband penetration, according to the latest figures from research firm Point Topic.

The survey reveals over 17 per cent of the population lives in areas that benefit from high penetration, with regions such as Norwich, Plymouth and Watford enjoying the best highest rates of connectivity, although nearly 75 per cent contend with penetration of a moderate quality.

In addition, the results reveal a difference between the north and south of the UK, with only three of the 68 regions with high penetration being in the north and the west.

Just under nine per cent of the population lives in regions suffering poor penetration, with many of these potentially being rural residents who live some distance from a telephone exchange.

Satellite and wireless networks are among the technologies being considered to provide more thorough penetration and faster services in more remote parts of the country to enable people to benefit from VoIP solutions and other applications.

Posted on: 2009-10-30, in: Broadband

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A new tool released by internet search engine giant Google allows homeowners to monitor their domestic energy consumption via their broadband connection.

The Google Powermeter takes consumption data fed from an add-on clip used for conventional energy meters, or taken directly from a newer smart meter, and presents the information on an iGoogle web page.

As the data is presented online, it can be monitored regardless of where the homeowner is located, as long as they have either a computer or mobile phone with them.

Pilgrim Beart, the founder and chief executive officer of AlertMe Energy, the product the Powermeter will initially be sold with in the UK, said: "More than a quarter of all energy use happens in our homes and this gives consumers the power to monitor, control and reduce the energy they use."

Broadband can already be used to download media content at high speeds and reduce communications expenditure through VoIP solutions.

Every home in the UK could be able to use the Powermeter within the next few years through the government's universal connectivity policy.

Posted on: 2009-10-30, in: Broadband

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The clear availability of round-the-clock technical support and services displayed are considered the most important parts of business websites by many firms, a new survey shows.

According to the figures from Heart Internet, the businesses surveyed consider the next most important elements to be the provision of an updated news service and ensuring the latest technology is used to operate the website.

The organisation expressed concern that the choice of web host did not rank highly, despite the fact that a smoothly-operating web host is crucial to the success of a firm's online presence.

Jonathan Brealey, managing director of Heart Internet, said: "More often than not, attention only turns to hosting when their web host has technical issues or their site outgrows the hosting and they experience down time."

He added web hosting issues tend to take a back seat as they are not constantly visible in the operation of a website.

Access to fast broadband speeds can help businesses compete more effectively, while applications such as VoIP hardware can help reduce costs.

Posted on: 2009-10-29, in: Broadband

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Specialist broadband website BroadbandSuppliers.co.uk has put together three pieces of advice designed to help consumers get better internet services.

The website firstly advises people to challenge their provider to offer them a better deal, as most companies will go out of their way to keep their customers rather than go through the process of getting new ones.

With the rate at which technology is improving, it is also possible that consumers could get faster connection speeds for a cheaper price, while opting to switch the way in which broadband is delivered to the home could also help access better rates.

Nadeem Azam, marketing manager for BroadbandSuppliers.co.uk, said: "The technology and deals on offer are changing all the time. So whenever your contract ends with your existing supplier, it makes very good sense to look for a new broadband deal.

Pursuing faster speeds could help increase download speeds while also making VoIP solutions more efficient.

The government plans to deliver universal connectivity of two megabits per second throughout the UK by 2012.

Posted on: 2009-10-29, in: Broadband

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Over half of Britons aged over 51 take their laptops on holiday with them and nearly 90 per cent surf the internet while away to research places of interest to visit, a new survey has revealed.

Figures from major internet service provider BT also revealed over two-thirds of younger people aged 18 to 25 spend their holidays on social networking websites such as Facebook, while a similar number prefer surfing the internet to being intimate with their partners on holiday, reports TechDigest.

Jon Hurry, commercial director of BT Retail, said the results showed the extent to which people of all ages have come to depend on the internet and now the technology exists to offer flexible connectivity.

Mr Hurry told the website: "We now want to get online when we are out and about and this research proves we rely heavily on being connected to the internet at all times."

BT recently announced it is spending £1.5 billion on developing next-generation networks throughout the UK and is channelling much of this into fibre-to-the-premises technology, which could help make VoIP solutions more efficient and increase download speeds.

Posted on: 2009-10-28, in: Broadband

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