Category Archives: Broadband

Being a customer of Verizon FiOS leaves me a little sad and frustrated

I pay $60pm for 75mbps internet access with Verizon FiOS, which they upgrade to 100mbps. When I connect my laptop directly to the router’s Ethernet port I see about 90-93mbps. It’s near enough what they claim. I know people in several countries that will look on enviously at such bidirectional rates (cough, Australia). However, new […]

What is it that you do?

I’m asked this question surprisingly often, “Alan, what is it that you do?” My stock answer is, “I wander the world helping people.” Which generally results in a wry smile from those who know me; else a questioning or annoyed look from someone who was expecting a straightforward answer to a straightforward question. When I […]

Shooting from the Hip

I thought I’d keep this article punchy as I’m full of a cold, so would rather just shoot from the hip than think too much on some of the topics I’ve discussed on my calls this week 🙂 There are some numbers in here, so its not just rambling opinion. Cisco bought market share, all the […]

The need for an industry reset on services

Its 2015, in case you didn’t notice 😉  IMS is still not pervasive, tier 2 telcos continue to buy NEW soft-switches in preference to IMS as its too expensive / complex, and RCS is nowhere as discussed in this weblog – a big thank you to all the contributors in the comments.  VoLTE is making slow, painful […]

BBWF 2013: History keeps repeating itself…

Better late than never, I’ve finally got around to the BBWF (Broadband World Forum) summary.  No 2014 trends weblog this year, its simply become too passé.  I’ll likely do something in the summer on trends. BBWF is a great litmus test across the whole of the telecom industry.  This year the theme that hit me […]

Telecom Application Developer Summit

Most of my working life has been spent building telecom applications within telcos (BT), vendors (Lucent, Cambridge Technology Partners), in my start-up Teltier (mobile presence applications), and working with many tens of telecom application developers as an independent. Based on this experience, telecom application developers exist and are grossly under-served by the telecom industry.  A […]

Instabridge: WiFi Made Easy and Social

To not offer WiFi access to visitors is on the same level of social faux pas as to not allow visitors access to the toilet.  I’ve reviewed previously the great market research Instabridge did on the typical consumer’s view of WiFi and 3G, with the classic quote “WiFi is free, 3G isn’t,” as shown in […]

Verizon Powerful Answers Award

Verizon have just launched their Powerful Answers Award, its a global challenge to inspire and reward innovative solutions that address society’s biggest challenges in education, healthcare, and sustainability utilizing Verizon’s network, device and platform technologies. A total of $10 million in cash prizes will be awarded. You don’t need to be a geek that is […]

End of 2012 Entry: An Eventful and Noisy Year

In this end of year article I’ll review 2012 and look at a few of the things coming up in 2013.  2012 has been an eventful year, we tend to miss how eventful as we’re busy working and raising our families (a life-long commitment!).  The year opened with some operators finally admitting revenues are in […]

LTE North America 2012: Tinder Box Market Ripe for a Firestorm of Disruption

LTE North America ran from 13-15 Nov in Dallas.  There was a record 1000 delegates at the show, with 60 unique carriers in attendance from small local rural players such as the Texas-based ZIPnet US, to regionals such as MetroPCS, and of course, the duopoly of AT&T and Verizon.  North America is a unique market […]