Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: Quantum Faster

379 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 16 Newer→ Last

  • Peter Darlington,

    You have to start somewhere. Even getting the inter-city links established improves the chances of cockies getting faster tubes.

    Agreed. Similar to the electricity grid decades ago. If the power network wasn't available in your region, the cockie up the back valley had no chance of getting it. But if the power line ran past that valley, the idea of connecting up the valley households becomes a much more realistic proposition. In the looooong term (20-30 years), I would not be surprised to see fibre or fibre derivative connections available in most places there is a power feed.

    In the shorter term, expect local wireless solutions making use of the fibre backhaul to provide relatively decent connections.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    I'm actually fine that edits are made by the individual concerned if they're identified as such.

    I thought this way of going about it was a pretty good one. When the EFB was going through, Nicky Hager made a comment about how, as drafted, it might have been something the Nazis would have done (but that those problems would obviously be fixed up).

    He posted this on the talk page:

    Note to editors of this page: the supposed quotation from me on the page ("nazi" etc) is taken so much out of context that it completely changes the meaning. This mischievous citing of me has been pointed out publicly already and it is disappointing to see it here. Can it please be removed? signed Nicky Hager 203.97.100.250 22:32, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

    Perhaps that's what you might want to do, Russell - to stop it happening again, but avoid editing stuff about yourself?

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • richard,

    So

    Key himself enthused to students in at Waitara College that they would be able to "download a movie in seven seconds".

    And just what will the school children be downloading? (not ENTIRELY safe for work)

    Not looking for New Engla… • Since Nov 2006 • 268 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    Richard Worth was the third most popular candidate on Facebook, after John Key, and Helen Clark.

    Was it because he's not Rodney Hide?

    No. It was because whoever was behind it, repeatedly tried to friend everyone who was a friend of anyone he friended. The person behind the analysis (I'd usually mention them by name, because I think it will be a chapter in VUW's post-election book, but I found it out under the Chatham House rule) has a policy of not friending anyone unknown to them personally, and rejected Richard's advances 3 or 4 times.

    My guess is that it was some sort of internal joke by the staff responsible for keeping these updated. It is pretty funny =)

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    It will be interesting to see who are the private parties in these deals.

    And who the ISPs will be?

    My reading is that to deliver services on the new infrastructure will require, apart from leasing the actual dark fibre:
    - customer site equipment
    - cabinet space at the POP
    - Akamai type caching gear at the POP or above
    - NZ backhaul bandwidth
    - international bandwidth
    - international voice connectivity
    - rights to broadcast telly
    - rights to video-on-demand (unless VOD is delivered through an super-youtube model)

    That isn't going to be dollar-and-a-dream stuff - I suspect there won't be many choices of full service ISPs (as opposed to thin-layer resellers).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    No. It was because whoever was behind it, repeatedly tried to friend everyone who was a friend of anyone he friended.

    I remember him coming up amongst the "people I might know", but he never tried to friend me. Am I so sad that not even spammy politicians will approach me?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Key himself enthused to students in at Waitara College that they would be able to "download a movie in seven seconds".

    Ah, but they probably won't be in Waitara by then. And did he say anything about it being a feature-length movie? This way, if nothing comes to pass he can always explain himself by saying "Ah, well the gummint has ensured that by the time a quantum of you have graduated and moved to downtown Auckland, you'll, ah, be able to to go into a major corporate office and download a 2-minute short film in 7 seconds."

    And only vaguely apropos of broadband: with all the talk about Woosh's troubles, what are the chances of them suddenly going titsup.com and leaving me without a connection? And are there any decent broadband providers in downtown Wellington that can meet my modest needs (currently less than 5GB/month) at a reasonable price without having to pay for a phone line?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Re Woosh: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2300968/Losses-now-Wooshs-biggest-asset

    I think they're a bit 50/50 at the moment but then they always have been!

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    That isn't going to be dollar-and-a-dream stuff - I suspect there won't be many choices of full service ISPs (as opposed to thin-layer resellers).

    Making things different to the current situation how, exactly? True end-to-end ISPs aren't all that common in the current environment either.

    Also, your list of things an ISP must have is pretty excessive. So long as they have the capability to terminate their own customers' connections, they can contract with others to provide the higher-layer services. Companies like Akamai, for example, or with the TV companies themselves. Better still, get into a collective contract between a bunch of ISPs and someone like Akamai to support the placement of content servers into an IXP, with all parties to the agreement getting unlimited access to the content. You don't need to have the servers at every IXP in the country, just two or three well-placed ones will be quite adequate.

    You're quite determined to find things wrong with this proposal, aren't you? I don't think I've ever actually seen a single post from you that's said "This looks like it'll be good for New Zealand."

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Rich - your list is probably about right - but assuming you're running ATM under everything on your fibre it's not a big stretch that you can choose an ISP, a TV provider, and a VOIP provider independently - for example you might choose take city-wide broadcast ATM virtual circuits (VCs) from a city-wide TV provider, telephone VCs from telecom, IP packets on VCs from a ISP, etc - of course each of those would probably love to lock you in with their particular bundle .... but we already see that happening now

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Re Woosh: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2300968/Losses-now-Wooshs-biggest-asset

    Interesting. He's right that there's unlimited carry-forward on the losses provided that there's a 49% continuity of shareholding between the year the losses were incurred and the year the losses are utilised (and it's oldest losses first, obviously), but there really does come a point where investors have to sit back and ask "When the hell will we ever see our money?" The loss can't be distributed back to the shareholders, so unless Woosh can, somehow, go cash positive and stay that way for however long it takes to recoup the best part of nine figures of losses, it's got to be very, very close to being a "cut stakes and run" proposition.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Paul, the problem with that is that such configurations would be an absolute nightmare to establish and maintain. Sure we use PPPoA for DSL now (as against PPPoE like most other countries), but it's a single stream provider, there's no need to configure mux/demux in the router, and there's really no need to provide smarts in the router. Once the router's having to handle multiple streams from multiple providers, probably with MPLS or some other LSP tossed in for good measure, it's becoming the job of a networking professional just to get your home internet connection established. I wouldn't be comfortable with trying to manage that sort of configuration, and I know vastly more about this kind of networking that Jo(e) User.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    I think the point is they have effectively invested on mass for the eventual WiMax rollout and the forward tax loss will help get that business running stable for a lesser outlay.
    No idea about the feasiblity of that business though.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Hill,

    John Key: "speeds which are quantum faster"

    dictionary.com for "quantum":

    –adjective
    6. sudden and significant: a quantum increase in productivity.

    Quantum as an adjective?! I've always preferred it as a noun ... especially because it renders John Key's phrase unintelligible.

    * S: (n) quantum (a discrete amount of something that is analogous to the quantities in quantum theory)

    "speeds which are a discrete amount of something faster"

    Palmerston North • Since Mar 2008 • 25 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Re ATM, I see how that could work technically, but presumably "my" fibre has to terminate in something (even if I buy my own customer side equipment) and I'll need to find a supplier for that. That supplier will be unregulated and free to lock all their customers into a bundle.

    The actual LFC isn't allowed to provide anything other than raw glass, right?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    I think the point is they have effectively invested on mass for the eventual WiMax rollout and the forward tax loss will help get that business running stable for a lesser outlay.
    No idea about the feasiblity of that business though.

    If they can turn it cash-positive, then you're definitely right about being able to get it stable more quickly. The problem is that WiMax seems to be being accepted as a dog whose day never quite came. Woosh will need to do something else if it's to generate more money than it's losing, if some of the articles in Computerworld in the last couple of weeks are close to the mark. Since one of the pundits is Paul Budde, I'm inclined to think it's probably pretty accurate.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    When I point out that the "today is a gift" quote is not original to Kung Fu Panda, I'm not telling anyone anything they didn't know, right?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    The actual LFC isn't allowed to provide anything other than raw glass, right?

    That's how it looks, yes, and to try and avoid the monopolist hell that we endured when Telecom had end-to-end control of everything it would be the smartest move.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    I believe the big/little issue re. 'quantum' arises because a quantum leap is an instantaneous particle state change that seems, proportionally, impossibly large.

    I guess the 'quantum' in that case is because the smallest possible change in energy state is that leap (though it may be just because it's to do with quantum physics).

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Lucy,

    That's news to me.

    But then I didn't even know KFP was out on DVD, so I've been shown up as well and truly ignorant today.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Perhaps he meant Quantum Leap

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Quantum as an adjective?! I've always preferred it as a noun ... especially because it renders John Key's phrase unintelligible.

    * S: (n) quantum (a discrete amount of something that is analogous to the quantities in quantum theory)

    Much as I enjoy being a pe(n)dant myself, the metaphorical sense of a "quantum leap" meaning a very big jump has been around for a very long time, and is pretty well understood. There is also some sense in relating it to its original physical meaning, since despite a quantum jump being very, very tiny, in the context of subatomic physics it actually refers to a substantial change in energy. And most importantly, it means a discrete jump, one that goes between two distinct levels with nothing in between. So in this sort of context, it means more than an incremental improvement in speed: one that in a perhaps more loathsome form of jargon is sometimes called a "step change".

    But "quantum" as a noun to simply mean "amount"? Grrrr.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    When I point out that the "today is a gift" quote is not original to Kung Fu Panda, I'm not telling anyone anything they didn't know, right?

    "That's why they call it the present" is original Oogway, though, no?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Ah, I took too long to post and Lyndon beat me to it. The key phrase from that Wikipedia article (which I should have gone & checked) is:

    The popular and scientific terms are similar in that both describe a change that happens all at once (revolutionary), rather than gradually over time (evolutionary)

    OMFG, did I just defend John Key's English?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    "That's why they call it the present" is original Oogway, though, no?

    Nope. I'd heard that line loooooooooong before KFP came out. It's been around since at least 1999

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 16 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.