Web 2.0 on 1.0 broadband?

It's very interesting to see all the exciting developments in the web 2.0 world, especially now journalists can classify apps and services in this way. How amusing that the Internet is just like the music world, if you can pigeon hole something to a genre or style you get happy journalists.

Anyway, I digress (unsurprisingly), amongst all the excitement has anyone taken a bit of time to think how "cloud computing" affects users who have to live with broadband that is more of a trickle than a torrent?

In relative terms I live in a broadband poor area, not unusual for rural Wales and yes it's my choice to live here. Our only option for broadband connectivity is a BT Wholesale based ADSL service. SDSL? Nope. Any LLU? Nope. BT have a target date of Q3 2011....excuse me while I am underwhelmed.

I was very excited to hear about the Wales Fibrespeed project as it's stated aim is to bring High Speed Backhaul at city prices to rural areas like mine. Great, it gives the more entrepreneurial minded of us a shot at leapfrogging BT and getting real broadband to businesses in our area. Oh wait, I forgot...we don't vote Labour round these parts so....no fibrespeed for us, not just in phase one either...not ever.

I'm not BT bashing, it's too easy and how do I beat them at their own game if I tell them how they're screwing up? BT are a commercial entity and can't justify the expense on a small exchange like ours, totally understandable.

I'm not a money grabber after another handout either, I really don't believe in our seemingly ingrained "Grant culture". Invest in basic infrastructure to drive change and growth, the folks with imagination and drive will do the rest. Just give us a chance otherwise the Internet will grow beyond our means to utilise it.

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