Transition to IPv6

This topic comes up from time to time (see, for example, this post). Today, BusinessWeek's website had this article that addressed the subject again.

Do you think things are different now than they were last year when I blogged about this subject before? Why or why not?

Update (3 Nov 2007): Robert Cringley must have had the same topic on his mind (see this). Please take the time to read the response comments at the end. Does this change your opinion? How does this gel with the BusinessWeek article, in your view?

Technorati Tags:
IPv6, Internet

Demand for Internet services and the demand for electricity

I found this post in Nicholas Carr's blog interesting. Discussions around electricity and data center demand has surfaced before elsewhere.

• This article discusses the impact of power demand on system design


• The impact of power on service provider strategies have been discussed here (and elsewhere)


• Articles like this one show how sensitive large data center firms are to the price and supply of electricity

Taken together, interesting questions begin to emerge.

Since data centers can be located anywhere, can we begin imagining an "outsourcing" of data centers (a commenter on Carr's blog suggests this)? Can this be conceived of as a strategy for economic development? To what extent do national e-commerce and energy policies intersect? Could you conceive of a tie between electricity supply and the "net neut*" debate?

Technorati Tags:
Google, Yahoo, electricity, energy, data centers, Internet, services, e-commerce, network neutrality

Nortel and Internet capacity

You might find this item of interest. Nortel, an equipment manufacturer, stands to benefit from the demand for capacity they are forecasting in this article, so it is possible that they are overstating the case somewhat.

But what if they are generally right? Does this affect your view on "net neut*"? Why or why not?

Technorati Tags:
Network neutrality, Internet, Nortel, broadband

Universal service

The conversation around universal service pops up from time to time in policymaking arenas. Here is an op-ed that may get some of you fired up on this subject!

Is there still a good rationale for a "universal service" program in the US? If so, which elements of the program should be funded? How should the money be distributed? Should it be funded out of a sector-specific tax or out of general tax revenues?

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Telecommunications, Universal Service

James Enck's "Ten Points"

This post over at James Enck's Eurotelcoblog is worth reading. In the article, Enck reflects on some possible transformations that are underway in the industry.

What do you think of his ten points? Do you agree or disagree?

Technorati Tags:
telecommunications, strategy, innovation, broadband, EU

OECD broadband statistics

The OECD periodically publishes broadband statistics for its member countries, which are all industrialized. The latest report can be found here. There are a few surprises here of note:

• First, the US ranks ahead of Japan in broadband penetration, which I believe to be a first.
  
• Another interesting thing is that the US is the only OECD member country in which cable modem subscribership is ahead of DSL. But, the use of each of these technologies is remarkably balanced (8/100 for DSL and 9.8/100 for cable) compared with other OECD countries.
  

So that brings to my mind a few questions ... what do these statistics say about some of the concerns raised by "net neut*" proponents? Would you anticipate "net neut*" arguments to emerge in other countries as well?

Technorati Tags:
OECD, broadband, network neutrality, DSL, cable modem

EU announces telecom infringement cases

I have posted earlier about the telecom review currently underway in the EU. In connection with that, the European Commission has filed 9 new "infringement" cases (see this page for details). These infringements are the mechanism by which member states can be held to EU-wide policy levels.

Technorati Tags:
EU, Telecommunications