I was sent this link earlier today. Do you think we're doing well in the Internet technology stakes? Read this and you may change your minds.

Impressive.

...and there was me thinking my 150K so called 'broadband connection' was OK. Maybe it should be more correctly termed a 'permanent connection'. Many think that broadband doesn't really start until a connection speed 512K. I could go up to 1Mb where I am, top whack.

Yet there are Korean Internet users connecting as standard at 3Mb and talking about speeds of 50Mb!

I'm on a 10 Mb connection and I love it, but the only time I can really make good use of it, is when I'm connected to people with the same connection. When I download something from my sister's pc (also 10Mb) a 700 MB download takes about a quarter of an hour. When I download the same thing from my brother's pc though, it will take me four hours, just because his connection is slower than mine.

So, although a speed of 50 Mb sounds great, I don't think it will be very useful to have such fast connections unless they're the standard. Until then going from 56 Kb to 1 Mb will make a big difference to a user, but going from 10 Mb to 50 Mb probably won't. As long as the upload speed of servers and other internet users doesn't increase, you won't be able to download any faster than you do now.

Yes I see what you mean. It's only as fast as the weakest link. I suppose within their own boundaries they'd be OK but that's a bit limiting when it comes to the WWW.

I'd like to go as fast as my ISP allows. That's 1Mb at present (2Mb in some areas I think). This definitely sounds outdated to your 10Mb though . Cost is a factor for me. I pay £17-99 per month for the connection I have at present. It would cost £34-99 per month for me to go to 1Mb.

Anyway, what I really find good about broadband is the permanent connection rather than the speed (don't sound very convincing do I? )

You probably wouldn't want to know that I pay only €11 a month for my connection, would you?

I agree with you on the advantage of a permanent connection though.

Of course I'm not jealous!

Painting his face that colour green was to amuse his grandchildren.

Lol!