Convergence Conversation

... well not quite.  But today's report in the Guardian about Stephen Carter's plans to shake up digital Britain sounds alot like the blue print set out in Intellect's Capitalising on Convergence Report from 2005.

In a week not short on news you may have missed Ian Livingstone's article in the Daily Telegraph on 6 October. His view "the market, not the government, is best placed to build fibre infrastructure" may sound like rather old fashioned Thatcherite dogma these days, but BT is staying resolutely on message that delivering on next generation broadband should not mean giving up on competition, either in the UK or in Europe. 

Livingstone set out a vision of Britain having the most widely available broadband of any country in the world, the highest broadband speeds and the most competitive market. More...

Flip Video is the camcorder device that has been taking the US by storm. Built on the principle of 'keep it simple stupid' it is a $150 device that wants to do for video shooting, editing and uploading what the ipod did to your music collection.

With only five buttons there's no need for a manual, and it has everything built in that you need to connect to a PC and edit and upload to YouTube or view though your TV. The buzz is all about putting the fun back into video. Definitely one to watch. Find out more here. More...

As sewers come back into vogue for the deployment of fibre (ok perhaps sewers have never really been in vogue) Philip Sheldrake speculated whether this means that toilets could wireless hotspots. Not a bad idea if you believe this press release which Google issued on April 1st last year, shortly before the BSG published it's Pipe Dreams report.

Google announces free in-home wireless broadband service

"Dark porcelain" project offers self-installed plumbing-based Internet access

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 1, 2007 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced the launch of Google TiSP (BETA)™, a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users' plumbing systems. More...

The OECD hosted an excellent workshop in Stavanger on fibre deployment on 10-11 April, 2008.

The aim of the Workshop is to examine fibre investment across the OECD and look for best practices across a range of investment scenarios. The workshop looked at technology developments, investment scenarios, regulatory issues and public sector interventions.

Full details of the event, including the presentations can be found here.

Several participants have blogged about the event here and here.

The OECD has also published a very good paper on developments in fibre technologies and investment. More...

Monday, 09 June 2008, 08:30 - 19:00

The Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) is delighted to host, in partnership with the Ofcom Consumer Panel, its 2008 conference, 'Beyond Pipe Dreams? Prospects for Next Generation Broadband in the UK.'
 
In April 2007, the BSG argued that the UK had two years to create an environment to enable investment in next generation broadband. This conference will take stock of progress made to date and address key challenges that lie ahead. It will also provide a unique opportunity to input to the government's independent review on next generation broadband, being led by Francesco Caio. More...