BBC Bandwidth Bandits
It's really helpful that a row has broken out between the BBC and Internet Service Providers over the new iPlayer service which lets people download and watch television programmes on their PCs. The network is already under severe strain due to the growing popularity of video-sharing sites such as YouTube and this brings the problem into sharp focus. While the BBC isn't causing that problem, they are exacerbating an already difficult situation.
In my own experience, it takes noticeably longer to access any web site now than say a year ago, you click on a link and you just have to sit there and wait and wait, and surfing is becoming an exercise in frustration. So we need more capacity, but who should pay?
I think there is a very good argument that the BBC should be required to stump up a sizable amount because they are taking a business benefit from someone else's investment. Imagine if the BBC could add extra passengers to any airline flight, or on any train journey. The airlines or train operators would have to provide extra capacity to cope, so why should the BBC be allowed a free ride? The same applies to any service that consumes bandwidth on such levels, they must pay for what they use.
You can read the full story here: news.bbc.co.uk
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- Mark Griffin's blog
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