After reading the news that ISPs in Britain surrendered to pressure and agreed to fight piracy, some users may not know all of their options to avoid possible false accusations. Now, it seems, a company is rolling out fibre optics for users lucky enough to live in the right city and offering to sell the connection outright.
We’ve been following the story of British ISPs caving to pressure and agreeing to fight piracy for some time. We noted that the government was also behind the move when a leaked letter stated that they would cut down internet piracy by 80%. Microsoft said that 54% of UK kids are file-sharers shortly afterwards. We also recalled Blanks and Postage as one option to bi-pass the ISPs prying eyes and noted that Swedish ISPs criticised the UK ISPs move. As an added bonus, we reported on an Australian ISP that points out that filtering technology can’t determine the difference between an unauthorized file and a legit file on a file-sharing network.
We continue our coverage of this developing story with something that, on the surface, may not seem related, but seems, nevertheless, a very interesting point to add in our coverage. Think Broadband is reporting that a company called H2O Networks is rolling out fiber-optics in a pilot project in the city of Bournemouth. It basically takes advantage of the already existing sewer networks in the city to install fiber-optics so that less road would have to be torn up to roll it out. Residents of the city reportedly received recently letters that said that they could get in on the deal, but had 28 days to respond (26 left as of this writing)
The thing that’s rather unique about this internet service is that it’s not just another ISP a customer would have to sign up for and pay a monthly bill. This service allows customers to simply buy their own internet connection outright. No monthly fee and no going through an ISP.
Skeptics will likely note that the price isn’t exactly the most advertised part of the offer, but ThinkBroadband comments with the following:
The cost of installing fibre to the premises (FTTP) is often quoted at as much as £1,000 per property. Residents in Bournemouth in the area where the Fibrecity network is to be deployed will be receiving a letter giving them a 28-day window to indicate that they would like Fibrecity to connect their home to the fibre network for free with no obligation to take any actual service.
H2O Networks was the company that rolled out the fiber-optics in the sewer system.
Bournemouth isn’t the only city being wired up with fiber-optics. Dundee in Scotland is also a part of this pilot project.
This isn’t the first of its kind project. In Canada, CANARIE is testing out its own version of the fiber optics pilot project. Derek Slater explained the idea in the Google Policy blog:
The main challenges with this model are economic, rather than technical. Most importantly, ownership has to be made appealing and affordable to consumers. The construction company is using conservative estimates that only 10% of homeowners will sign up and there will be a per-customer cost of $2700. If you assume 50% take-up, then the per-customer cost drops to $1100. Both figures might seem like a lot, but people pay for a variety of improvements to their home — like remodeled kitchens, or a deck — that also cost large sums.
This model faces other significant obstacles as well and it may only be possible in certain circumstances, if it’s practical at all. But the only way to really figure that out is to experiment. Cable television started out as CATV — community antenna television, an experiment by individual entrepreneurs and rural towns to deliver broadcast signals across longer distances. The Internet started as an experiment in the research community before becoming the worldwide network we know today.
It’s also worth considering that, as recently as a few decades ago, personal telephones were unheard of — the telephone was owned by Bell and simply part of the network. Similarly, the very idea of a “personal” computer used to seem ridiculous, and people relied on sharing access to mainframes. Sure, there are differences between owning your own computer and your own Internet connection, but perhaps one day we may see that the differences weren’t as great as we thought.
Even if this experiment fails, it can be a worthwhile data point in discussions about broadband deployment. We need as much creative thinking as we can get to determine how to deliver fast, open Internet for everyone.
Fibrecity, the company promoting the British fiber-optics project says the connection speeds are about “100mps” (100 MB per second?) For those worried about being targeted by their own ISP for alleged copyright infringement and those who are looking for a fast internet connection alternative, the deal seems rather enticing.
Some are already hoping that the project is a success. Some may hope that there’ll finally be an end to the comfortable oligopoly British telecom companies sat on for several years – putting pressure on them to improve their services as suggested by carpetburn of ThinkBroadband.
It’ll be interesting to see if the fiber-optics idea spreads to other cities around the world. What’ll be more interesting is to see what the implications would be in the file-sharing community should the project be successful.
Related Posts
- UK – 7Digital Tries Cashing in With Customers Stuck on Anti-Piracy ISPs
- Google and Its Continuing Dark Fiber Mystery
- In Mexico, Internet music piracy rising with broadband connections
- UK P2P Crackdown to Fuel Wi-Fi Hijacking?
- Music groups to sue ISPs over piracy
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how does fiber optics make you safe?
Too many people have been hooked into high-sped Internet connectivity for it to ever go away. If the main ISPs do indeed become traffic cops for the RIAA and MPAA etc. people will create their own private networks. You’re already seeing this in UneNet where you pay a monthly fee to be a member and get to download anything you want. The sad thing about this will be that everyone’s greatest fear the “balkanization” of the Internet will have occurred.
Too bad the RIAA and MPAA can’t embrace the 21st Century. Oh well.
It’s a good idea in practice. Get a direct pipe onto the internet. How would one get an IP address for this scenario? Is this where you could simply set up your own IP? If that was the case then you would be pretty damn near untraceable if you were indulging in naughty things. Someone will have to clue me in on how this would work….
Ooops LOL…. Change “practice” for “theory” in the previous comment.
@ ejoness – when I read the report I immediately thought of the first safety principle of open p2p – safety in numbers. It took this long to pressure a couple of ISPs imagine having to go after thousands of “ISPs”. A few of the other reasons have already been mentioned above.
Not a terrible idea I’d like to see more of a co-op rather than this model. Where everyone is part owner of the company and has the ability to make decisions on how its run.
@DrewWilson the only thing i can think of is.
1. fiber optic is so fast that any wire tap attempts would be foiled by the data flowing too fast for current wire tapping devices.
2. fiber optics cant be be tapped secretly (being a conspiracy why the lines cost so much (requiring costly tapping hardware to be installed))
3. being connected directly to the internet (being your own isp) exploits some loophole that makes the line un tappable (without a high end court order or something) also being directly connected to the internet they can change their ip and close their own isp and come up under a new ip and name and do more p2p each time sent another c&d notice
@ ejoness
Your points (1) & (2) make no sense. As for (3) I doubt that the law provides a “loophole” for individuals acting as ISPs.
I heard off the record that the real reason Russia invaded Georgia was to stop piracy they are blowing up the buildings that
house servers that carry trillions of dollars worth of software music and movies anyone care to comment ?
@open_universe i think i remember reading somewhere that isps them self are immune to the laws (somewhat) so by being an isp then you can have an account set up that you can do p2p on and if a c&d notice comes in then delete that account and make a new one
ISP’s need to get taken over and regulated by the world goverments they need regulation with all of the pirating going on. the pirates are driving the world into a drastic state of depression.
Sarge you’re either a troll or quite daft either way I’m glad the majority of society does not support you view.
mountain rage it is only a matter of time before those that steal get beaten up in public by those they stole from artists producers software engineers crooks are stealing billions from us and that may seem like a lot but if you took 500k and divided it by lets say 5 billion you would see that it equates to less than 100k a year. Yes guys at the top jobs gates and a few more are worth billions but us little guys are the ones that are ending up in the soup line.
and us little guys are around 500k strong around the globe we all have families to support and 100k a year was just enough to do that and yet now with all of the pirating most of us have to get jobs at wal mart mickey d’s to make up the difference as the most we get a year now is 20k.
pirates kill the dreams of our kids and that is just wrong.
Well now you’re showing your true colors. I’m quite convinced you are a troll as no one is stupid enough to believe that a well trained university graduate would have to resort to Wal-mart for a job. Another stupid point is that 100k a year is not enough to live on common if you wanted to be a convincing troll try a little harder.
well what do you do for a living ? are you a rich trust fund kid ?
if so you do not know the meaning of a struggle and yes the other day as a matter of fact 20000 applicants showed up to walmart for a job in atlanta 20000 no joke and 90% of them were college grads that were just laid off by computer firms with over 20 years on the job guess where their jobs went ?????
INDIA
RUSSIA
you my friend are out of touch with reality.
The jobs went to other countries because big companies want to save a couple million in labor costs. It wouldn’t have mattered if piracy were to cease to exist or go up 1000% they were going their regardless sarge. You’re argument is a red herring.
No Drew for example Adobe laid off 2000 employees all programmers they make well you know what they make
Microsoft has laid off thousands as well shall I go on ? I am talking about high level jobs that an indian can not do unless he had spent 200k in training.
Well it’s an outsourcing problem.
Sarge you seriously need to go back to school and get a decent education. As for your comment about my origins I’m currently paying my own way through a mechanical engineering degree. So I actually do know what its like to have to live on next to nothing. Btw you did do a red hearing as drew pointed out. If you don’t know what that it its quite simple you’re using an unrelated issue to try confused the audience and have them accept your argument.
The subject is governments forcing ISP’s to block out torrent p2p sites yes ? and I am indicating the reasons why they are doing just that.
If I was you I would change my career to lawyer or get a mba they are about the only ones left making any money that is if you do not mind your job going over to india china russia which is definitely going to happen by the time you get out of school.
Sorry sarge but no matter what we still need local Engineers to oversee the work going on no matter how much jobs get sent oversees we will still have a need here. Even if there we’re very few engineering jobs my education prepares me for work in numerous fields and I would just move to one of those move own grow stronger.
Oh and again jobs being sent oversees has nothing to do with file sharing.
Jobs are being sent overseas because software companies are losing billions they cannot afford to hire programmers out here
do you think they like dealing with indians ?
they hate it but they need them because indians are so cheap and because they are so cheap the software companies can stay alive because their overhead is cut by 90%
if it were not for the indians software companies would be out of business
but even now it is getting worse so with the indians helping out these companies will be out of business soon anyway.
and this is what is really bad
indians because they are making money they need to get around and they are using guess what ?
cars hence the skyrocketing of gas in our country china to.
our government for years was trying to keep india and china in the stone age they are still keeping the middle east in the stone age for the most part the human rights organizations and others gave their people new insight
now india and china whose population now is 3 billion need gas and gas is made from oil.
now if p2p and torrents sites did not exist we would still be an economic superpower software companies would be reporting record profits instead of huge losses and bankruptcy’s
instead there are thousands of billionaires created in china and india and we are screwed on gas and soon to be food
to much protesting as well as the p2p and torrent sites are dooming this country and no one will realize that until 20 years from now
when the once great super power united states is now a split up into 200 different provinces. and the new super power is indo china
india and china combined.
like I said you might want to become a lawyer instead they are always in demand and they are few and far between especially now.
again software companies reporting huge losses hardware companies breaking even and oil companies reporting record profits in the billions worldwide. because now 60% of the world needs gas vs 20% not even 10 years ago and when did napster first surface ? I rest my case.
and god forbid when russia decides to challenge the us india or china.