Andy, On May 3, 2005, at 2:51 AM, Andy Williamson wrote:
Interesting you should say that. I've just been writing up some research for a client and that was one of the questions I had... However, as I dug deeper it got more interesting...
All the rhetoric shouts 'broadband good, dial up bad' but the punter, it seems remains unconvinced. Certainly here in New Zealand we had very high levels of Internet adoption with dial-up, which have now levelled off somewhere around the average post-industrial level (who knows what it really is as every shiny marketer and politician gives you a different number and none are plausible).
However, our broadband uptake is very low - somewhere between about 7 and 10%. Research is indicating that the reason for this is not cost (it costs double but doesn't tie up a phone line, so it's the same cost of dialup plus a second line) or access (about 95% of NZ population has broadband access if you include satellite options).
Is broadband 'metered' in NZ? One would expect that to be a clear reason for slow uptake of broadband, where the drivers are music, movies and games. Or if those aren't drivers, per se, they are certainly the majority of use. In any case the research is clear, people dislike metered services, perhaps it is a cognitive boundedness thing, we like to make a decision once rather than as we try to work/play. eg http://www.dtc.umn.edu/~odlyzko/doc/pricing.architecture.pdf If you pay per the liter for water, do you really want a big hose---unless there is a fire?
No, the 'problem' is us - the stupid user - we simply don't see sufficient value in having a broadband connection. It must be the warm summer we've had but the Emperor is parading around unclad. And nothing the ISPs and TelCo's can do - even down to free install and free adsl modem - is changing our minds. The uptake remains very slow.
Are we competetively disadvantaged by this. According to NZ Trade and Enterprise (the govt department leading the ideological charge for all things ICT or biotech), yes. According to our current trade statistics... Er.... No.
The computer game industry in Korea is huge, and it seems reasonable to say that without such an effective broadband roll-out it wouldn't be. Do the NZ trade statistics count the growing market in virtual goods ;) --J
Andy
-----Original Message----- From: air-l-aoir.org-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-aoir.org-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Ellis Godard Sent: Tuesday, 3 May 2005 18:37 To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Cc: 'Digital Divide Network'; 'AOIR' Subject: RE: [Air-l] Down to the Wire
Eh... Is there good data (heck, *any* data) that broadband increases growth, productivity, or quality of life?
-eg
-----Original Message----- From: air-l-aoir.org-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-aoir.org-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Miraj Khaled Sent: Monday, May 02, 2005 10:55 PM To: techiemik@yahoo.com Cc: Digital Divide Network; AOIR Subject: [Air-l] Down to the Wire
Down to the Wire http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20050501faessay84311/thomas-bleh a/down-to-the-wire.html
Summary: Once a leader in Internet innovation, the United States has fallen far behind Japan and other Asian states in deploying broadband and the latest mobile-phone technology. This lag will cost it dearly. By outdoing the United States, Japan and its neighbors are positioning themselves to be the first states to reap the benefits of the broadband era: economic growth, increased productivity, and a better quality of life.
Miraj Khaled ============ techiemik@yahoo.com mindexplorer.blogspot.com
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