The choice to be offline as part off the ultimate vacation I guess has gone! Now a days the need and interest off always connected has become a priority for many. The past week I have been off, in the sense that the connectivity I take for granted was more or less gone for Internet usage and at times even for normal calls. I think I have an idea about scaling and building networks after some years in the Internet Service Provider business and I do understand the cost side. What surprise me more is the not working end to end networks close and in major cities. The product (connectivity) has a an SLA (Service Level) that has nothing to do with Telco grade networks and up-times. I am not talking about a server in a data center now, but more the service delivered at the end-point, the user.
Looking at my home country Norway and what goes on here on the investment side of infrastructure that carry the growing traffic of users wanting to access some content that is on the “defined” location Internet. I do understand why the connectivity and capacity at times is close to n0ll.
The advertising campaigns on changes in roaming prices within the EU and other I guess close locations seems to have made it even easier to stay off-line, since the networks are at times not end to end connected. Be aware the ones that rely on the GPS application on your smartphone to find your way…the no service ad can be the only view :-).
In Norway we talk about coverage and the authorities try their best to “push” the industry to have as close to 100% coverage as possible. Like most business models the last 1-2% are the expensive ones so the industry get some help via different incentives. The challenge with the coverage maps is that there are “black” holes between the coverage zones and there is nobody talking about the capacity needs on the physical infrastructure. I think the coverage models used need to be looked at more closely and education on what carrier grade networks is all about need to be spoken more about also outside the CTO office, or is is just procurement left?
I have a more than average interest in the connected world and see the development off increasing demand for always on and “burst” enabled robust infrastructure to support the more and more connected world. I also believe the willingness to pay for a service that works when the user want it to work is there. The challenge that can be an “excel” factor is the peak economy models used. When do the service owner move up a step to deliver an premium end-to-end service? Before or after the customer(s) call an complain? Even better who do they call, in this application oriented world?
Be aware and follow the real investments in infrastructure around the world… I am not talking about the last mile! 😉
regards
bj