State of the Internet Report recognizes Insight's broadband speeds in Kentucky
Akamai has released their third quarter State of the Internet report, which shows that Kentucky has moved into the top-ten of U.S. states in the number of broadband users with 5 Mbps or greater Internet. Thirty-two percent of Kentucky Internet users connect at a speed of 5 Mbps or greater, according to the report. This number has shot up in the past twelve months and represents the biggest mover in the top 10.
Excuse me for tooting my horn a bit, but most of the increase is due to Insight's broadband offerings. As you know, Insight offers our customers a standard 10 Mbps and modestly priced premium service at 20 Mbps service in Kentucky - well above the 5 Mbps threshold in this report.
Akamai's Kentucky broadband statistics reflect Insight's position as a leader nationally in providing the fastest speeds for our users. I'm looking forward to seeing the fourth quarter report for continued growth in this category. Click here to download Akamai's third quarter State of the Internet report.
Two-thirds of OTA households have requested DTV coupons [EngadgetHD]
We're less than 100 days away from the February 17th digital transition deadline, and the federal agency responsible for administrating the digital converter box coupon program is reporting that 62% of households that watch over-the-air (OTA) television have requested a government coupon. OTA TV viewers will need a digital converter box or a TV capable of receiving digital signals to successfully make the transition to DTV. The government coupons provide a $40 discount for digital converter boxes, and each household may request up to two coupons.
What is not clear is whether the over-the-air "households" are just those that don't have cable or satellite on any of their TV's or does it include any home that has at least one TV that receives over-the-air signals. That is the most unknown aspect of the coming transition.
Without that piece of critical data, it only appears that most affected households have already requested coupons. But even if it's only the the homes with no cable or satellite, that's still millions of OTA television viewers who are probably not yet prepared for the transition. Given the large numbers of people who are either waiting until the last minute or are still not aware of the changes they need to make for DTV, it's very important that federal policy makers continue to focus their efforts on helping these hold-outs navigate the digital transition.
I know I sound like a broken record, but remember, if you're a cable customer, you will have no problem continuing to receive everything you receive today on all your televisions that are connected to cable after the digital transition.
Here's a novel argument for why government mandated a-la-carte cable is unnecessary. A-la-carte programming is effectively available via online video already. Here's what Techdirt has to say:
We've been among those who think that the government shouldn't be forcing cable providers to offer a la carte channels. While people always insist that if they got a la carte cable, it would be cheaper, the facts are quite different. The economics of providing a la carte through existing systems would greatly increase overhead, and make it difficult to make things work. Most people would end up paying the same or more -- but for fewer channels. Those who are complaining might be better off recognizing that when they pay for cable they're effectively just paying for what they want -- and the other channels are freebies.
There are many reasons why a-la-carte cable is a bad idea. It won't make cable bills any cheaper, and it would decrease the diversity of programming available. And, with the volume and quality of video available online, it's just another reason why government mandated a-la-carte is a bad idea and unnecessary.
While I agree that Insight's broadband service is very fast and very reliable, 10meg much less 20meg is overkill for my needs yet if I want internet through Insight I have to pay for a service that far exceeds my needs. For checking emails, internet searches and limited online shopping 5meg or even 2meg would likely suffice. It would be nice if Insight offered more tiers of internet service like most other providers do and give me the chance to pay less since I need less.
Posted by: Steve | Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at 07:47 PM