I must return to my Japan trip to tell you about the networking technology available there. NTT has users on its 100 Mbit/s fiber-optic internet service. Over 6 million in 2007. And I am talking of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections! Readers note – that is an optical signal direct to the living room!
Japan’s ISPs were already providing ADSL at over 50 Mbit/s and yet they still managed to get people to upgrade, and those customers now out number the ADSL users! I suspect that Video on Demand is where it is at, and boy are we so far behind.
Making a quick check on Yahoo BB in Japan (I am not shopping for best price), I see that they offer the Hikari service (yes, same name as the fast train I travelled on) of up to 100 Mbps up/download at ¥7,000 a month (approx A$70). Read and weep.
