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What is true is a correlation between competition and quality of internet. Areas with only one provider almost inevitably have terrible service. Do countries l

by RK 17y ago

What is true is a correlation between competition and quality of internet. Areas with only one provider almost inevitably have terrible service. Do countries like South Korea and Japan have lots of competition for high speed access (or infrastructure)?

henrikschroder 17y ago
I can't speak for those countries, but in Sweden where I am there is a lot of competition. I live in Stockholm and I can choose between one cable company (up to 100MBps for ~$50/month), DSL from the three major phone companies (~20MBps for ~$40/month), DSL from a bunch of smaller virtual providers, and if I manage to convince my housing coop to install fiber, there's a bunch of providers that can deliver 100MBps for ~$30/month. If I was living in a small-town, I would probably be able to choose between a cable company, some DSL providers, and possibly a local municipal network. If I was living far out in the country-side, there would maybe be DSL, but definitely mobile broadband. So wherever you are, there is competition, even though it's of course fiercer the larger the city is. I don't know if the broadband market is fully saturated yet, it's probably pretty close to it.
- RK 17y ago
  You mention DSL from major phone companies and virtual providers. Do all of those major phone companies run their own copper/fiber or use the same infrastructure? 100 MB/s would be nice. I'm paying about $50/month for 5Mb/s DSL in the US.
  - henrikschroder 17y ago
    There's only one copper infrastructure which is owned by Telia, the previously state-owned phone monopoly. If you want more copper lines to your home, you have to get it through them. However, the phone and DSL provider market is deregulated such that Telia has to allow other companies to install DSL equipment in the phone stations as well as use the copper cables. Fiber networks I know almost nothing about. I know there are several country-wide fiber networks, all the phone companies of course have their own infrastructure there, but there are a few more companies renting out access. I think you can become a DSL provider without actually owning any equipment, just renting access at the appropriate places, but then you are of course dependant on the actual infrastructure owners, and you will probably not be able to deliver the cheapest service, but have to compete on something else.
patio11 17y ago
I live in Japan's answer to central Kansas. I could pick up the phone and call one of, hmm, four ISPs for fiberoptic service. That is only the tip of the iceberg -- there are also (at least) three Wifi providers in town, etc etc.

by RK 17y ago

henrikschroder 17y ago

I can't speak for those countries, but in Sweden where I am there is a lot of competition. I live in Stockholm and I can choose between one cable company (up to 100MBps for ~$50/month), DSL from the three major phone companies (~20MBps for ~$40/month), DSL from a bunch of smaller virtual providers, and if I manage to convince my housing coop to install fiber, there's a bunch of providers that can deliver 100MBps for ~$30/month. If I was living in a small-town, I would probably be able to choose between a cable company, some DSL providers, and possibly a local municipal network. If I was living far out in the country-side, there would maybe be DSL, but definitely mobile broadband. So wherever you are, there is competition, even though it's of course fiercer the larger the city is. I don't know if the broadband market is fully saturated yet, it's probably pretty close to it.

RK 17y ago
You mention DSL from major phone companies and virtual providers. Do all of those major phone companies run their own copper/fiber or use the same infrastructure? 100 MB/s would be nice. I'm paying about $50/month for 5Mb/s DSL in the US.
- henrikschroder 17y ago
  There's only one copper infrastructure which is owned by Telia, the previously state-owned phone monopoly. If you want more copper lines to your home, you have to get it through them. However, the phone and DSL provider market is deregulated such that Telia has to allow other companies to install DSL equipment in the phone stations as well as use the copper cables. Fiber networks I know almost nothing about. I know there are several country-wide fiber networks, all the phone companies of course have their own infrastructure there, but there are a few more companies renting out access. I think you can become a DSL provider without actually owning any equipment, just renting access at the appropriate places, but then you are of course dependant on the actual infrastructure owners, and you will probably not be able to deliver the cheapest service, but have to compete on something else.

patio11 17y ago

I live in Japan's answer to central Kansas. I could pick up the phone and call one of, hmm, four ISPs for fiberoptic service. That is only the tip of the iceberg -- there are also (at least) three Wifi providers in town, etc etc.