In a bizarre experiment all eyes from the technology and broadband sector will be on Tasmania this week as the Australian state vies to become the first to offer nationwide Internet speeds of 100 Mb per second. The Australian government has invested substantial funding into its nationwide broadband network (NBN) and there is intense curiosity as to how this vastly superior broadband speed will affect not only the local economy but the potential for Tasmania to attract international investment.
While the South Korean government has also invested a substantial amount of money into its own NBN (a figure reported to be in the region of $24 billion) it seems as though the Australian authorities are ahead of the game. However, reports in the press suggest that South Korea will have nationwide broadband connectivity speeds of 100 Mb per second by 2010 and a phenomenal 1 GB per second by 2012.
There is no doubt there have been significant improvements in broadband technology around the world but while the UK struggles to reach speeds of 20 Mb per second there is a danger of being left behind in the international race. As we covered in one of our recent post, the impending resignation of Lord Carter from the UK government has also cast further shadows on the UK government’s broadband initiative.