|
The local loop
The language of technology abounds with
anachronisms. Computers are referred to as machines that need to be
booted, we click a mouse to bring up a page on the web, we download and
then open files, and so on.
Telecommunications, too, has its fair share -
mainly a legacy from the early days of telegraphy and the telephone. One
of these is the "local loop". This is the copper cable that
connects your telephone at home to the local exchange, and, apart from
better insulation, it remains much the same as it was a century ago.
Businesses needing many phone lines now
connect to the public networks using optical
fibre. They can also spread
the cost of high-speed data connections to the Internet between many
users.
Most people at home don't have the high speed,
high capacity optical fibre. They still connect to the Internet using a
modem and a normal (copper) telephone line. Modems convert the digital
information to and from a complex, high-pitched whistle. This can
then be transferred over telephone cables between computers. On a good day
modern modems can transfer information at 57,600 bits per
second, though
this is rarely achieved in practice because of line noise and
distortions.
ISDN
In the 1970s, telecommunications companies
started to upgrade their trunk networks to operate digitally. This offered
higher quality, especially over long distance, greater reliability and
lower maintenance costs. They also recognised that many users wanted
digital connections, so extended the digital service to customers.
ISDN stands for "Integrated Services
Digital Network", though at the time was sometimes referred to as
"Innovations Subscribers Don't Need". In spite of this cynicism
ISDN, which does not normally require special cables, is now available
throughout the UK. Lower cost version, referred to by BT as Business
Highway or Home Highway, are also offered in many areas.
However, ISDN has failed to capture the
imagination of the public. Whilst it does offer faster and more reliable
Internet access (64,000 bits per second), this is only marginally faster
than a modern modem and is still not fast enough for multimedia access to
the Internet - pictures, voice, video and interactive games.
Broadband
Cable modems
The cable companies were granted franchises in
the 1980s to dig up the streets of our cities and lay cables to allow them
to deliver multi-channel television and telephone services. Initially the
cable companies borrowed US technology and did reasonably well selling
packages of television services - a novelty in the UK at that time.
Telephony was slower to take off and it took
the consolidation of many small companies to allow investment in the
technologies to allow digital services to be delivered. Some cable
companies offer ISDN but, more importantly, several now offer broadband
access to the Internet.
What this means in practice is that a
special box (a cable modem) is installed in the house, allowing a PC to be
"always connected" at a speed of typically 500,000 bits per
second. Cost is normally around £25 per month.
The problem is coverage: cable companies
generally only operate in the cities and have few plans to expand into the
rest of the country. Most also only offer the broadband digital service to
homes taking their television or other services.
ADSL
Another broadband service is DSL, sometimes
referred to as ADSL ("Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop"). This
uses complex digital signal processing technology to squeeze much more
bandwidth out of the local loop - up to 2,000,000 bits per second to the
user and 500,000 bits per second in the reverse direction. It does however
require special equipment in the local exchange, restricting its
availability.
At present BT's ADSL service is available in
some parts of a few cities. OFTEL - the UK Government's telecommunications
regulator - is taking steps to allow other operators to install equipment
in BT's exchanges, but progress is slow.
Other broadband
Other possibilities for broadband access to
the Internet from the home include:
-
Fixed radio - licenses are
available for the replacement of the local loop by radio, though uptake is
slow
-
Mobile radio - the next
generations of mobile telephony (GPRS and
UMTS) will include provisions
for high speed Internet access, though there will be a cost premium
-
Community networks - new
housing developments can spread the cost of a broadband leased line
between several users.
As things stand at the moment (February 2001),
those in cities are reasonably well catered for, often with a choice
between cable modem and ADSL (now, or coming soon). Outside the cities the
situation is bleak, with little prospect of broadband access for some time
to come.
What is already available from a number of
suppliers is fixed price "always on" Internet access at ISDN
speed. Whilst this may preclude certain applications, it is nevertheless
still useful in the flexible working context.
What is the government doing?
The UK government is taking a strong lead in
promoting a "digital Britain" through, for example, its
modernising government programme, information age "champions"
and the appointment of an "e-envoy".
It also recognises the potential of a
"digital divide" between the online haves and have-nots. However
the impression is given that this divide will only affect a small minority
of people - either in deep rural areas or at the bottom of the social
scale.
In reality, if left to the market, a large
proportion of the population will be excluded from broadband services.
Some local authorities and enterprise agencies have acknowledged this
problem and are exploring ways in which the public and private sectors can
work together to improve access. The Flexibility feature on regeneration
explores some of these issues further.
Flexible working
How does all this tie in with flexible
working?
There are two advanced flexible working
concepts that are supported by broadband and/or "always
connected" services:
-
"Stretch the
desktop": the office electronic desktop (PC and phone) is, in
effect, tunnelled through the Internet to the home user. The home PC and
home phone operate as if they are in the office.
-
"The office is the
network": the electronic functions of the office migrate to the
Internet. All users - office, home, mobile, etc. - connect to the Internet
to access their IT and telecommunications applications.
In practice it may be that many organisations
are not ready for either of these concepts in their totality, though most
IT departments are already "web-enabling" many of their business
applications.
Nevertheless the following uses are reasonably
easy and cheap to set up and can pave the way for more complete
solutions:
-
Web-enabled "groupware" - most
common e-mail, calendar, contacts and file sharing applications (e.g.
Microsoft Exchange / Outlook) can be web-enabled, making them usable
online by home and mobile workers.
-
Instant messaging - text messages and files
can be sent to users wherever they may be.
-
Voice and video - using products such as
Microsoft NetMeeting, online conferences can be set up between dispersed
groups of people, with voice and video communications, whiteboards,
messaging, file transfer and application sharing.
-
Intranets - existing intranets can be made
available securely to a distributed workforce across the public Internet.
-
Database applications - a wide range of
business applications built using a "client-server" model can
also be delivered securely across the public internet.
In summary, with the growth of affordable
broadband options the Internet is increasingly able
to support full anywhere / anytime working. What are often lacking are the
awareness, business processes, HR policies and organisational culture to
enable the full range of benefits to be delivered.
Useful links
Telecommunications companies offering
broadband services:
Government sites:
|
