Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Steve Sobol wrote:
Christopher C. Stacy wrote: Al Quaglieri writes: 1. Internet over power lines (BPL) is a stillborn technology It's sort of the ISDN of radio. Meaning what, that it will have a small niche market? I doubt it. ISDN actually had broad appeal back in the days before DSL and cablemodems - I used it for a year or two myself. It was still used widely in Europe for some time after DSL and cable became commonplace here. BPL won't be that popular. BPL probably won't even manage the small niche that I believe you're referring to. It's just too late in the game. In Europe, ISDN came in early, was adopted very quickly, and was very reasonably-priced compared with the alternatives. In the US, the pricing schemes were outrageously expensive and most of the telcos either did not have it available or didn't even know what it was. As late as five years ago, I went around with GTE for two months trying to get an ISDN line for a local voiceover studio. In the US, ISDN was a flop because it was too expensive, too slow, and too late to market. If it had become available as quickly as it had in Europe and as universally, it would have been very popular. But it wasn't. I gather these are the issues with BPL... it's not anything that you can't get better from other services that have been in place longer. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Scott Dorsey wrote:
In the US, ISDN was a flop because it was too expensive, too slow, and too late to market. If it had become available as quickly as it had in Europe and as universally, it would have been very popular. But it wasn't. (A) ISDN was faster than dialup - no one (hopefully) is claiming that it was meant to replace leased lines. (B) Yes, ISDN was expensive in some places. In Ohio we got lucky. Business ISDN was tarriffed per minute, but you could get residential for as little as $37/month for 75 calls/month (metered access, 8c/call after that) or about $45 flat rate. And I still maintain that ISDN was more useful for that time period than BPL will be now. **SJS (trying to tie this argument back into radio somehow, and failing miserably) -- JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/ Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED) Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Steve Sobol wrote:
Scott Dorsey wrote: In the US, ISDN was a flop because it was too expensive, too slow, and too late to market. If it had become available as quickly as it had in Europe and as universally, it would have been very popular. But it wasn't. (A) ISDN was faster than dialup - no one (hopefully) is claiming that it was meant to replace leased lines. The telcos were pricing it higher than many leased line facilities. Hell, you could get Switched-56 for less than ISDN in Richmond, VA. (Sadly here in GTE-land we couldn't get either). I could get a 16KC 2-wire crosstown for less than a quarter what a single remote ISDN circuit cost. And I could get the 16KC loop installed with a week's notice, instead of a year. (B) Yes, ISDN was expensive in some places. In Ohio we got lucky. Business ISDN was tarriffed per minute, but you could get residential for as little as $37/month for 75 calls/month (metered access, 8c/call after that) or about $45 flat rate. Residental ISDN? You have to be kidding! Was it actually on the residential rate schedule? I gather that was a non-tariffed service? That never made it out anywhere around here. And I still maintain that ISDN was more useful for that time period than BPL will be now. I dunno, but I'd sure like to be able to order 48F burglar alarm circuits from the telco again. Now THAT was a cheap way of doing remote work. And sometimes it even sounded good. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Scott Dorsey wrote:
Residental ISDN? You have to be kidding! Was it actually on the residential rate schedule? I gather that was a non-tariffed service? That never made it out anywhere around here. Residential ISDN is available in the Nashville area. My boss had it a few years ago - actually I'm pretty sure he still does. -- Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66 http://www.w9wi.com |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Voice of Switzerland prepares to bow out | Broadcasting | |||
Photos of China shortwave radios (and more!) | Equipment | |||
Photos of China shortwave radios (and more!) | Policy | |||
Antenna future | Antenna | |||
WHERE ARE ALL THE TOUGH GUYS IN THIS SHORTWAVE NEWSGROUP? | General |