Ofcom panel: there is no "killer app" for fibre broadband

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 26 Nov 2009 at 13:15

Ofcom's Communications Consumer Panel has urged the broadband industry to stop waiting for a "killer app" for fibre broadband - because it doesn't exist.

Speaking at a Westminster eForum on the future of broadband in the UK, Communications Consumer Panel chair Anna Bradley urged telcos not to wait until a service came along that demanded higher bandwidth than is available today.

"Don't start by asking 'what is the killer app?'," Bradley said. "Consumers aren't homogeneous - they don't need a single compelling application. It gives ammunition to those who say until we get the killer app, we'll just wait and see [before investing in fibre]."

Moving to 3D video will require a 12 times increase in bandwidth

Bradley's opinion won support from the industry, notably Virgin Media's executive director of broadband, Jon James. "The debate on a "killer app" is misguided," he said. "We went from 56Kbits/sec, to 512Kbits/sec to 2Mbits/sec and beyond with people developing a range of activities. It's not about a single application."

However, James said video-on-demand is the service that's compelling people to upgrade their broadband at present. "Video is a massive driver," he claimed. "The HD iPlayer streams requires 5Mbits/sec at a very steady level in the background."

Experts agreed that next-generation video services will massively increase demands on ISPs. "Moving to 3D video will require a 12 times increase in bandwidth," predicted Simon Loe, head of public affairs at Alcatel Lucent. "We will eventually require more than a 25Mbits/sec service."