Broadband is the buzzword these days, but what exactly is it and what are the benefits?

What is Broadband?

Broadband is a high-speed Internet connection that is always available. This means you don’t have to dial-up every time you want to send an e-mail or surf the Internet. There is more than one type of Broadband connection, here is some info that will help you make the right choice.

ADSL

The easiest and most cost-effective way to get fast Internet is with ADSL. Quite simply, ADSL is a high-speed, always-available digital connection to the lnternet that works using your existing telephone line.

How does ADSL work?

When your ADSL line is activated and you have the necessary hardware in place (a PC and an ADSL modem), your telephone line signal is divided into two channels — one for voice or fax and the other for a high-speed data connection.

Why should I get ADSL?

• ADSL is up to 9 times faster than a standard dial-up connection.

• It’s always available. You will never have to wait to dial-up again, because with ADSL you are permanently connected to the Internet.

• You don’t pay for a call every time you use the Internet, so your telephone bill will reflect a fixed monthly rate for your ADSL access.

• It’s cost effective. If you find you are spending more than £20 a month on Internet access, then ADSL will be a more cost-effective (and faster) connection for you.

Wireless Broadband

Wireless Broadband gives you the ability to stay connected to the Internet wherever you are. It’s Internet access anytime, anywhere.

How does Wireless Broadband work?

It allows you to access the Internet from wherever you can get mobile phone coverage, using your laptop and 3G data card — ideal for those who travel regularly or for the business person on the go.If you have a data card that slots into your laptop, then you have Internet on the move. If you’d like to use it at home, but you only have a PC at home there’s no need to worry because you can purchase a wireless router, insert the 3G data card into the router and connect this to your PC.

Why should I get Wireless Broadband?

• Wireless Broadband is ideal for users that want Internet connectivity on the move.

• There is no reliance on a physical telephone line, no installation costs and no dial-up charges. With a data card that simply slots into a laptop, it is quick to set up. No waiting to be connected.

More info on ADSL broadband

I recently changed broadband providers as I was paying too much for your basic 512kbs and I am now receiving 2.2 mbps for half the price. Did this offer seem too good to be true well maybe? I was reading through the terms of the service and came a little section called fair usage policy. Which basically means that if you’re seen to be downloading vast amounts of the providers bandwidth you will be warned or your service taken away from you? With the provider I am using they have a fair usage policy. If you are seen to be taking advantage of the “uncapped” broadband they slow your speed right down till the next month.

Is broadband really uncapped anymore?

When buying or transferring your broadband it is a good idea to carefully read the small print on uncapped broadband. I personally have not had any problems as of yet with the company I am using.

I see many companies offering broadband at low prices with the slogan “uncapped”. But many of the companies are not in fact uncapped. If you are only on the net to check emails and a few web pages then you would not be affected by capping. It’s the user who plays games, download music and videos which are likely to be affected. Broadband was designed so people could do these sorts of activates online. So don’t forget when you see that advertisement for uncapped broadband think to yourself is it really uncapped

Read the terms of services
Read reviews of the service online
If migrating from another provider be sure to ask for your MAC code

http://cdlivecards.blogspot.com/

This is the most exciting concept in broadband computer access since the onset of online computerization. Just think….to be able to plug in your computer in any existing electrical outlet in your home, office or even campground and have immediate connection to the net!

As in any new concept there are going to be pros and cons but in this case the pros far outweigh the cons which you will see as we discuss what is going on in this exciting field of communication.

• #1 You can plug your computer into any existing outlet anywhere you go as each outlet becomes a broadband outlet and you can access the net quickly and efficiently.

• #2 The power grid is already in place all over the world…no new satellite connections nor dial up procedures. No more waiting to have cable installed in your area.

• #3 BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) will be cost effective - running approximately $29.00 -$39.00 per month in comparison to the $49.00-$69.00 per month to access the internet with other provider methods.

This exciting new breakthrough technology is presently being tested in several cities across the US….in fact the Trump Place in New York City has hired Telkonet, a company that provides internet access via electrical wiring to provide its residents with internet access that’s as easy as plugging in their a toaster! This technology can enable an entire building to access the net by way of existing electrical outlets without having to install new wiring. BPL feeds a low-power radio signal over power lines. A BPL modem plugs into a regular low electric outlet, receives the radio signals from power lines and converts them into a digital internet connection.

There are several cities in the US now with complete citywide deployment of BPL, one of which is Manassas, VA. Currently, there are no fewer than 40 BPL deployments across the country in various stages of development in various stages of trials and commercial service. There are 50 utilities across the country looking into it. Google stated that this would help promote better access to the internet.

The biggest drawback to this technology has been an interference problem with ham/amateur radio operations. Ham radio operators fear this interference can threaten communication service in times of emergencies such as Katrina where they are providing information from their vehicles. Technology is working hard to overcome these difficulties.

As a matter of fact, NewsMax reports that now, with the second generation of hardware and software, the interference problem has been greatly mitigated. Furthermore, the FCC requires BPL providers to employ devices that can switch frequencies if they cause interference and that they can be shut down remotely. FCC commissioners also will be requiring a national database of BP installations for public safety agencies, amateur radio operators and others.

I personally find this exciting and am looking forward to the convenience of taking advantage of this technology! As we live in an age where we have this information available to us at our fingertips, following the progress of BPL and learning when they will make this available in our respective areas will be a fun challenge.

I was seriously thinking of calling this article The Pros’ and Pro’s of Business Broadband and T1 Service. I for one am an advocate of such service. The speed, reliability, extensibility coupled with great service can be an asset to any organization dependant on their communications infrastructure. Whether it’s voice, data or an integrated voice and data implementation, the advantages out weigh the cost. If you’re not currently using this technology in your business, it might be time to seriously consider it. Your competition is.

In order to provide an objective article, as objective as I can be given the preceding paragraph, I should point out both the pros’ as well as the cons’. As much of an advocate I am for the use of these technologies, the truth is that it’s not for everyone.

Let’s start with the cons’ of using business broadband and T1 service. First there’s cost. To implement any communications infrastructure takes money. So cost is the first factor.

Knowledge is the second. There is a varying degree of knowledge required in making informed decisions. There are many vendors out there who would be quick to oversell you or promise you cheap costs to gain your business. So knowledge is another factor.

Hardware is the third. This could easily be wrapped into points 1 and 2 above. Depending on the infrastructure you’re considering, it could be as simple as a modem and a router, it may be much more complex than that. We’ve separated hardware out from the two points above, but obviously there is a cost factor in purchasing the hardware and knowledge factor in the use of the hardware.

Let’s take a look at the other side of the coin, the pros’ of using business broadband and T1 service. Any business that relies heavily on it’s communications infrastructure, this technology is a must have. The speed alone quickens the pace within the office. Emails, downloads, research all play a factor in the productivity of each employee. No more waiting for a dial-up connection. No more getting the dial-up connection only to wait some more as web pages slowly populate your screen. Ever send that important email with an RFP attachment (Request for Proposal) or the product outline, or whatever, only to have your signal dropped? This can be very frustrating indeed. How about research? Are you researching for products or services to use within your office or perhaps wanting to check up on your competition? Looking for that information on the internet through dial-up? If that’s the case, you’re the type that REALLY knows how terribly slow dial-up can be. Broadband and T1 technology removes these issues all together with a fast, reliable and extensible infrastructure that can grow with you and your business.

What about cost? I think the real question is the cost of not having this technology. But alas, let’s take a look at cost. How much time do you spend on dial-up? How many times have you had to wait or resend a proposal (or any email for that matter)? What is your time worth in dollars? As a professional, I’m sure you value your time as well as charge for it, depending on your line of business. So, factor that into the picture. How many times have your customers or prospects not been able to reach you because your phone line was tied up? What does that add up to in dollars?

Knowledge? Let’s take a look here as well. Unless you’re in a technology business, no one expects you to become an expert here. You really just need to learn what’s available and even there, if you use a communications broker, you’ll get a person (or team) that listens to what your current needs are and what your growth plans are. Usually this is a free service offered by communications brokers, so you should take advantage of it.

Hardware? Here to, unless you’re a very large corporation, you can outsource this. It’s not as expensive as you might think. First off, your first line of support should be your vendor. They came out and installed the equipment and ran the required communications lines. This may mean learning a little about the hardware. Basically, reset a modem; reset a router, etc. certainly not that hard to do. So the vendor is your first line of support, but if you’ve used a communications broker to obtain your communications infrastructure then they are your second line of support. A broker tends to get the ear of a vendor quicker because of the amount of volume that broker does for the vendor. The end results is that when you’re having issues and your vendor seems unresponsive to you, your communications broker can generally get the attention of the vendor (and resolution to your issues) quicker.

So, cost, knowledge and hardware are but small points in the overall picture. Good business understands total return on investment. Good business knows how to make a purchase then leverage that purchase in a productive manner.

Unless you’re a very, very small business chances are this technology will benefit your organization. Even if you just want to get your feet wet, so to speak, then move up to business grade DSL broadband access. All these technologies are more affordable then you may think.

Get your information, get your quote from multiple vendors and make your decision. It’s just makes good business sense.

1. Sharing is good.

Your connection to the Internet deserves to be shared with everyone in your home school program. One or two computers wired to your internet access can be turned into four or more in their own rooms. Even better you can create a small computer lab where no one will be standing in line to use the connection for homework or research. Even if you have one computer for everyone in your home school program with another computer sharing a wireless broadband connection the access is doubled without string another cable or phone line. Let me share a quick story about a homeshcooling mom who had one computer in her bedroom and she was homeschooling two teenagers who were getting more email than their mom (computers are replacing cell phones when it comes to chatting if no one has noticed - can we say Instant Messaging). After buying another computer (under $300) and setting up a wireless network she now has her computer back and only has to listen to “Mom, Tony won’t let me use the computer” - instead of “Mom when are you going to get off your computer”.

2. Dialup is too busy

Some broadband users enjoying the speed of dsl would probably argue that this should be number one and it did take some arguing not to make it number 1. Dsl users never get a busy signal when trying to access the Internet and the connection is on all the time without being dictated by a busy signal, downed phone line, long distance charges or constantly updated dialup numbers. A homeschool resource is hard enough to get to without waiting for someone to get off the phone and in a home with several very talkative individuals that can be a long time. If you are a homeschool mom you can have your phone and Internet connection at the same time - who said you can have your cake and eat it too…

3. Wireless broadband is getting faster and faster.

While this one is still tied to the one above it - remember that a 56k dialup is like the topspeed of a Model T car when it was first invented. The speed of dsl is getting faster and is being pushed to over 70mbps. Let me also mention that wireless hotspots are popping up all over the place in coffee shops, health food stores and even your favorite burger place. Handheld computers or PDA’s are advancing also into wireless to where you’ll soon be able to watch video on them also just like a regular computer - why the emphasis on video you may ask, because it is an incredible learning tool.

4. Broadband wireless content is getting more info to your desktop that you need.

With the huge push to wireless broadband more and more information providers are creating content that is more targeted to high speed delivery. Streaming videos of info from Discovery channels website, watching the launch of the space shuttle (from NASA’s own website) or the landing just in case you missed it on television are one of the few examples available to be accessed with a wireless broadband connection that is fast (see Numer 3 above) and you don’t even have to check out a video from the library (see Number 5, not to mention how long it will take for the library to even get a video of a shuttle launch).

5. No more trips to an already crowded library.

A home schooling family of any size has a full schedule as it is and squeezing a trip to the library can be more than a challenge. If you have ever tried to get to the library and then stay for more than an hour looking for a book on homeschooling curriculum only to find out it already has been checked out then you feel my pain. Now you can even check to see if the book you want is available thru the local library’s website and some of them let you reserve it until you can drop by, pick it and leave in just under 10 minutes. Looking good now, that broadband connection has paid for itself in time saved already.

For more articles and other content, if you have an RSS reader click on this link: http://www.homeschoolwireless.com/publication/homeschoolwireless.xml

Daviyd Peterson: 10-year consultant, instructor, trainer
Helps african american and minority homeschools bridge the digital
divide by becoming computer homeschools. Free article
on “Computer Homeschooling” and other related articles
http://www.homeschoolwireless.com/homeschoolwireless.htm

Hip, wired, cool, outgoing, active, insecure, constantly online - is this the image of the youngster or young-minded person brands marketer in the Westernised economies are chasing after? Why is this segment so important for marketing planning? What should modern marketers know about the digital channel and how should they use it? How can they reach this important market and how should they communicate with it?

PHENOMENON: Youngsters are better informed than brand marketers.

In the global launch of Sony’s PSP, several Asian consumer electronics vendors were sued. Sony felt obliged to take this action because youngsters and other eager gamers, especially from Europe, saw the chance to get their PSPs already in summer 2005, while PSP was only introduced to the markets in autumn 2005. Consumers placed their orders via the Internet to Asian vendors and goods were shipped via global delivery channels to gamers. For Sony, these companies were endangering its distribution and launch strategy. The question remains: was this sort of legal counterpunch really worth it - and will similar cases become a natural part of our global business reality?

Reaching and influencing the young-minded segment is ever more challenging. Consumption patterns are shifting from mass-media toward micro-media for the masses. Savvy media-empowered consumers, often under 25 years of age, are being influenced by trends from all over the globe. The knowledge and adaptation of these trends is sometimes even carried out at a faster pace than local marketers can introduce their products to the markets. At the centerpiece of this revolutionary behavior lies the broadband-accelerated Internet.

At first glance, global consumerism seems to be great news for marketers: Global marketing works, campaigns are rapidly localized, consumers do the marketers work themselves and thus fewer resources need be allocated to domestic promotions. Yet, is this really so? For many brands, marketing to the empowered youth and young-minded segment is simultaneously a dream and a nightmare. For example, knowledge such things as product bugs and negative experiences about features, design and usability,
fly through the globe via networks as fast as the trends themselves. Consumers can tune into to the global opinion databases of any product 24 hours a day (1). The internet-empowered consumer has more perfect market information available than ever, and more and more them are aware of their new powers.

As rumors and experiences jump from one country to another, the message the brand’s agency tried originally to communicate does not remain uninfluenced. Marketers easily lose control over their campaign messages. In our wired and wireless world, it can be a major challenge to repair this damage with local initiatives, such as when a product obtains negative feedback from consumers. For example, in 2004-2005, the famous lock manufacturer, Kryptonite, had to spend a substantial amount of its marketing budget in activities to recover its reputation after an online site posted instructions demonstrating how easy it is to open Kryptonite locks with a plain ball point pen.

Satama thinks that modern marketing is all about creating a useful and sustainable dialogue between the brand and the segment. With this we state that brands need to shift from one-way push-marketing into listening to their target groups more carefully, and be ready to a dialogue with the target group in ways that encourage them to be part of the brand experience. Moreover, if an average Western consumer living in a city is daily exposed to more than 3500-5000 marketing messages (2), we argue strongly that it is more than essential to find the means and methods to cross the constantly increasing attention barrier. Satama sees that that this hurdle will not be crossed using only traditional means of marketing - new approaches are needed.

BEHAVIOUR:I’m alive - I am @ MSN - contact me!

There will be over 600 million broadband connection subscribers worldwide by 2015, versus about 200 million at the end of 2005 (3). Thus, who cares about numbers anymore? Who cares whether it is going to be 600 million people on broadband or 400 million or 800 million? Offline versus Online - could not matter less - it’s all about reaching the target in the new mass location. Online life is here - and the markets are massive. The youth segment is obviously the most experienced and skilled with regard to digital channels. They’ve grown up with them and thus these channels play a natural part in their life on daily basis.

When looking at the online presence of the young-minded segment in more detail, the findings are convincing. More than 78% of the 18-24 age group was online in the US in late 2004 (4) and more than 85 % of them had been online more than three years. Europe lags a bit behind in this, but the trend is clear. There is only one conclusion a brand can take from this - being online is a must for successful campaigning!

Furthermore, Internet users from 12-17 years old say email is best for talking to parents or institutions, but they are more likely to use instant messaging when talking to each other (5). This is reflected even in common language expressions: “Being @ MSN” is a common status of being alive, to exist amongst one’s peers. The number of active friends in a typical MSN hotlist for the active segment aged below 16 lies somewhere between 20 to 40 invitees. Consequently, the Dutch telecom service operator, Hi! (A subsidiary of KPN Mobile), leverages the MSN phenomena aggressively in its marketing. Its “Chatman” character offers a subscription though which youngsters (or any other MSN Messenger user) can be “present” in the chats though not in front of their screens, thus appealing to the self-esteem of the identity seekers. Check me out - I am always online!

In the broadband era there is no returning to life before it. Generation C (C=Content) (6) is producing its own content with powerful PCs and making it available to their peers via dedicated sites or Peer-to-Peer networks. While baby boomers (born before 1960) had to learn what mass media is; and while Generation X (born 1960-1975) grew up with television and 1st generation video games (and are now focusing on their peaceful family lives with high debt ratios); the new Generation Next/Idols/Content (Born after 1975) member is a born media multi-tasker. If their own preferences are not met with the offering from traditional channels, there is always an alternative: the online service.

The new on-demand-consumption (7) of content is something of a Pandora’s Box. Once opened, the consumers learn that there is access to a basically limitless amount of content within one’s own preference setting (8). Consumers will no longer be happy and satisfied only with content fed to them by media companies. They want to influence, get what they want - now, everywhere, anytime. And they demand this from the media company who is now struggling with decreasing profits - not an easy equitation to handle. Look at the music industry’s falling sales figures and the reality of more music being available then ever. Who is losing, who is winning? Gatekeepers losing, consumers winning? The “long tail” (9) effect enables more streams than just the few offered by media conglomerates. We will see a lot more popular performances and peer group stars outside music charts and mainstream movies.

FRESH APPROACH FOR MARKETEERS;Be part of living - online!

Young-minded people are much more heterogeneous in their needs for marketing than more settled “30-somethings” with family and kids. Youngsters are constantly in a process of finding/defining their own identity/independence. The needs of a 14 year old differ radically from the ones of an 18 year old. This identity seeking is often expressed through subcultures (skaters, Goth, manga, sudoku-players, ravers, etc.) and identification with strong opinion leaders’ behavior (pop-stars, idols, sport-stars). If a marketer wants to segment the youth market, they should carefully distinguish trends and subcultures within the age groups and demographics.

When affiliating with subcultures (skateboarding / snowboarding / DJ-ing / graffiti) or artists (Pepsi and Britney Spears) brands need a deep, long term commitment to actually gain credibility amongst youth. This can be gained only by being positively credible among the peers and locations where the segment naturally moves and meets. A brand should never pretend to be a teenager when its not. The way young people communicate is unique, and pretending will show through. The greatest thing a brand can attract to itself and benefit from is a passionate end-user community, for example Apple’s fanatic user base, or MTV’s outstanding success since 1980s.

The digital channels are on a winning streak for the time and attention span of the youth segment. Thus, they are extremely important for marketers. Even as recently as early 2000, the digital channels’ key role in communication was to support other channels, like print or TV. Now, at the dawn of the broadband era, it seems that TV, radio, and print media are like “gateways” to digital channels. Viral marketing through forum discussions, IRC channels (10) etc. are already used. Traditional advertising methods (including internet advertising, e-mail marketing, and search marketing) do not provide enough answers. It is not about whether to use digital channels or not, it is rather about what other channel to use to get traffic to the online channel.

The very diverse digital channels and ways of communication are still difficult terrain for advertisers. Satama thinks that the role of digital channels becomes important when they allow for communication between the members of a group or when they allow for the projection of icons. In other words, allowing communication between the target group members is one of key success factors in youth marketing. It is significant to notice that most of the biggest brands online (11) today are digital channels themselves. That is, if more than 80 % of all online sessions include a search (12), isn’t it essential to be strongly present in this medium?

Satama believes that brands need alternative means for their advertising: alternative ways are needed to get their message across among youth and beyond. The best digital marketing can mean digital services instead of advertising. Not everything has to go digital though, people still value tangible things, something for all the senses. The digital channels enable youth to DO “things” (e.g. they can get, create, share and influence
things that are relevant to them in a certain situation and/or time. Moreover, brands can listen to their target groups through digital channels - interactivity is the nature of these channels.

Consequently, the borders between marketers and content providers are blurring. At least, brands may be facilitating content. It seems that brands are forced to realize that stories are becoming more important than products. Target groups want to associate themselves with the fascinating story of the brand and are willing to pay a premium of this connection. Thus we see that content can still be the king. We see also that the content can be professionally or end-user generated. But does it even matter how it’s generated, if end-users want it! Satama believes strongly that increasingly there will be interesting and surprising partnerships established between different parties, old brands, and new digital brands. Movies, music, sports, retails, etc.

Innovative channels are needed. A few examples of these are in-game advertising and event marketing. First, the gamer’s world is different (see box). Rules of human behavior and limits do not extend to this world. Anything is possible. So why do even the most modern marketers stick to putting their brand in a game only as a billboard, static ad or what-so-ever. “Hello Mr. Brand! The world it different out there!” This new virtual space can also influence how a game player perceives the real world. Computer and console games form not just a “tiny hobby area for boys” - they totaled a ~€23bn area of business in 2005! Look at gaming rules. What if they were the rules of modern marketing - what would you do in this world for and with your brand? Could it be so that the best means for modern marketing emerge from the multi-complex world of game design, in a way similar to how field interactive marketing sprang from birth of the digital channel in mid 1990s?

Second, Satama says that marketers have to invest in making their events more innovative. It is good to have an event and sponsor it. Yet, to make a lasting memory among, for example, music festival participants, they need to be involved with the brand. With over 500 event solution deliveries behind us, Satama can now confidently state that using digital channels is the key to building before-during-and-after event experiences for participants. Segments, especially the youth, try out new things more freely when the involvement of the brand is higher - touch, feel, smell, experience - but use digital means to expand it beyond the conventional. For example, Satama produced in 2005 for a Malaysian telecom operator, Celcom, an integrated 3G marketing
campaign formatted around a TV reality show. The show was supported by a website, two mobile sites, a viral campaign, push SMSs, MMS blogging, plus engagement marketing on the streets for Kuala Lumpur. The outcome was outstanding: the target group, youth, was extremely passionate about the show and the campaign became one of the most popular TV programs during its existence.

RECOMMENDATIONS:What might work?

To conclude, we’ve listed a number of recommendations below that modern marketers should execute in modern marketing planning. These best practices expand beyond the youth segment; they are actually the core variables for realizing fresh, appealing, and impact-oriented marketing operations. Moreover, we claim that there is no brand that should not re-consider the impact of the internet on their brand positions.

1. BE INNOVATIVE AND DARE TRY OUT: The best way to understand
the emerging channels is through trial and error. Knowledge about how consumers behave is gained by making exploration rounds. In marketing planning, observational and various testing methods are needed, while in the execution phase proof is collected by measurement and metrics. Yet learning happens more and more through try and error. Thus, allow errors, but learn from them!

2. ACTIVATE THE LOGICAL SIDE OF MARKETING: Marketing is extending beyond creative concepts - managers increasingly call for ROI from marketing. Tracing and calculating the effects of marketing in the digital channel is more possible than in any other channel. We are committed to a process in which the measurement of marketing should be planned as carefully as well as the creative concepts currently are within the conventional advertising channels. We see that brands should do much more to ensure that communication motivates the segment to follow up one action with another.

3. BUILD BEHAVIOURAL KNOW-HOW.: More than ever, target groups are hopping about from one medium to another. It is crucial to be present wherever the target group is. As the online channel plays a significant role in modern behavior, it should be a high priority in any corporate planning. Satama believes that knowing a target group’s behavior and developing your digital service based on their needs, is the key to online success.

4. OPINION LEADERS BRING CREDIBILITY: Each peer group is influenced by its thought leaders. Especially for the youth segment, involving leaders involves the target group and extends events into virtual space by building before-during-after experiences. Leverage the mobile channel innovatively with leading consumer brands and remember to also market offline.

5. LISTENING AND NETWORKING: Understanding the context of communications is the key to making communications work effectively with your target group. A successful marketer must dare to listen and react - it’s not about push, its about listening skills. Relationships with challenging target segments, such as youth, take place across the innovative spectrum of relevant media channels. We believe that the creation of online communities and the provision of tools for natural networking can help a brand grow closer to youth.

6. PARTNERING: Dare to take innovative approaches and to closely co-ordinate with partners. It is not about trying to do thing alone - other brands are struggling with the same challenges. Why not to find credible allies to boost one’s own goals? It’s all about intensifying openness, discussions and trials with different kinds of partners. For the youth segment, it is of utmost importance to do marketing with partners who are credible for the segment. Find them and work with them!

7. FRESH AND UNIQUE: Satama believes that brands should provide
more and more unique content. The target should be to increase the number of regular visitors by offering fresh, up-to-date, and attractive content. Investments into one’s own IPR creation and imagination may prove to be very successful in making the difference. The digital environment allows for faster reactions and launches than any channel before it.

8. CREATE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNICATIONS: We see that brands should aim to establish a dedicated communications channel for its segments. This communications platform is a much more powerful approach than transitory online campaigns. Content within this kind of marketing focused online service should be based on specific interest areas to create a communications arena that is more like a media channel operation than a marketing-only operation.

At Satama we believe that marketing planning should move from advertising planning toward planning and measuring the actual impact of integrated actions. In the 1990s the key slogan most marketers were repeating throughout the globe was: “The media is the message”. In today’s turbulent, networked, and dynamic business Satama asserts that: “Behavior is the message”. It is not only about where you are, but how strong an impact you can create with your target group!

You can download this article with images from our corporate blog, http://voice.satama.com

Sources:

1 See e.g. www.epinions.com or www.seatexpert.com
2 J. Walker Smith, 2005
3 Quantum-Web, 2005
4 ComScore Media Metrix, 2004
5 Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2005
6 Trendwatching.com, 2005
7 Business Week, Nov, 2005
8 so called “long tail”, Wired, May, 2004
9 See http://longtail.typepad.com/the_long_tail/
10 IRC= Internet-relay-chat, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat
11 e.g. Google, AOL/Warner, Vodafone, MSN, Skype, iTunes
12 Google, 2005

Tommi Pelkonen (tommi.pelkonen@satama.com) works as a senior consultant specialising in mobile telecommunications, digital marketing communications and business strategy formulation at Satama Amsterdam. He has worked on multiple mobility-related business projects. Prior to Satama, Tommi Pelkonen worked as project manager and senior researcher in LTT-Research Ltd (http://www.ltt-tutkimus.fi) analysing the developments in the Finnish interactive service provision markets. (Econ.) Pelkonen has authored several publications of the North European digital media landscape. His latest report (2006, forthcoming)
was analysing the mobile industry evolution in Finland. In addition, Mr. Pelkonen has worked as IT-project supervisor and lecturer in the Information Technology Program (ITP) at the Helsinki School of Economics (http://www.hse.fi). Tommi publishes also his own personal blog in Finnish.

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Broadband access is also known as high-speed internet access. The popularity of broadband access is increasing these days. It is because broadband access is much faster than a dial-up connection. There is no need of dialing. Consumers can use the phone line while they are connected to the internet. The downside is broadband access is more susceptible to hacker attacks. Therefore, a good firewall program is a must for broadband users.

Broadband users are more susceptible to hacker attacks because their internet connection is always on. This is true even when they do not open the e-mail program and web browser. Broadband connection usually has a static IP address with unprotected or “open” ports. Hackers or crackers can locate these unprotected computers easily using routine port scans.

Once they gain access to the computer, hackers can do different things. They can install an application in the computer, hijack the data files, steal confidential banking and identity data, or use the computer to hack another computer.

Although many computer users have antivirus and antispyware software installed, these programs cannot block hacker attacks.

A personal firewall is what broadband users need to protect their PCs from hackers. It does the job in different ways. A firewall program masks the IP address, making the computer invisible on the internet. PC users can use program controls to allow or deny internet access to programs. Sophisticated firewall software also have ID lock feature, which prevents personal information from leaving the computer without permission. Personal firewall can also block pop-up ads and cookies and provide other features for overall protection.

Kwan H Lo is the owner of http://software.4reviews.net, an online review site which promotes the best antivirus, antispyware and personal firewall software.

Do you remember when home wireless networking burst into our lives? Suddenly we could work from any where in the house. Have you ever wanted to do the same when you are out on the road?

With WiMax, now you can!

WiMax is a wireless network access program that offers its subscribers citywide high-speed broadband access to the internet. You can be up to 31 miles from an antenna and still get online.

Although, the further you are from the antenna the slower your connection.

Here is how it works.

A broadband provider sets up several cells to support a certain geographical area. While the theoretical range of WiMax is 31 miles, most cells will only support an area from three to 10 miles.

Within this range, special cards based on the 802.16 wireless standards will allow mobile devices to surf the internet at high speed.

This cell system is similar to how digital cell phones work now.

Where this technology really shines is for mobile business computing. Imagine you are a busy sales executive. You just finished a presentation to a major client.

The presentation went well, but they asked for some revisions. Normally, you would have to rush back to the office and have the revisions made.

With WiMax, you could connect via your VPN. Mail the changes to your office, which would make the revisions and send them back. All in a matter of minutes.

Can you imagine the level of perceived customer service your clients will have? You just told them that they are important, so important you dropped everything to handle their requests.

In just minutes you emailed the changes to your boss, she reviewed and approved them and emailed the updated paperwork directly to you. Another three minutes to print them out on your portable printer and get the clients to sign! Contract closed!

How could they not be impressed!

Typical download speeds are in the range of 400 - 700 kilo bytes per second (kbps).

That is slightly faster than many cable companies allow for their cable modems. It is much faster than DSL connectivity.

Astonishingly, this technology is capable of speed bursts of up to 2 megabytes per second (mbps)!

How can you integrate WiMax into your current business? How about setting up a wireless mobile office that is always connected to your home office?

Start with getting a good laptop computer and add as much memory as it will hold. Purchase your WiMax wireless network card to get access to the broadband system.

Now, think about accessories. Will you need a portable printer to print presentations and contracts for your customers?

What about telephone service? Do you want to transfer your office phone to your cell? It could eat up your minutes, costing you extra money.

Have you thought about Voice-over-Internet Protocol or VoIP? Another name for VoIP is Internet Phone.

You could setup your office phone with a VoIP provider and take the module to the field with you. All it needs is an active internet connection to work.

Another option is to use your VoIP with a software phone program. This way you could use your laptop as a telephone.

There you have it, a complete mobile office. How great would it be to make plans with your clients in real time? Could your competitors even try to compete with you at this level?

Most likely, they could not!

In short, wireless broadband access may be the best key to increasing your competitiveness.

The freedom to engage customers, on their turf, while maintaining connectivity to your office will allow you to respond to rapidly changing situations.

Can you think of a better way to impress your clients than by being able respond immediately to their needs?

Parrott Writing Services, a San Antonio Texas company specializing in web content, ghostwriting, website optimization, online/offline ad copy and technical writing to small businesses.

http://www.rickparrott.com

Send an email to: EBOOK@sasecure.net for a FREE electronic copy of my eBook on Computer Security!

For the uninitiated, the term broadband phone is loosely used to describe the technology currently available where one can make telephone calls from a telephone system that sends the voice signal over your internet connection. The call may terminate at a regular phone line or another broadband phone.

Until recently, the technology was not being used widely because of its perceived limitations, including lack of features available. The primary issue however has been that of poor call quality.

Now, continuing improvements in the industry and increased competition pushing the development of the technology have resulted in significant progress, to the extent that some analysts now predict that broadband phones (really Voice over Internet Protocol technologies) will dominate the long distance calling market by 2010 - maybe sooner.

Here are some specific reasons why you may find broadband phones a good fit at this stage.

Reason #5: Portability and Ease of Use

The equipment provided by the broadband phone companies can be used wherever you have access to a high speed connection. Most broadband service companies do not restrict you from traveling with your phone. As long as the network that you are plugging into will “automagically” assign your broadband device an internet address (IP address) - and most will - you are up and running.

This means that you can be in a hotel in Japan and still be accessible at the same phone number - your kids or staff don’t need to know the hotel’s number.

Reason #4: Long Distance Savings

Broadband services typically come with lower long distance rates than you can get from most traditional carriers. This calculates into immediate cost savings. Some services allow you to add one or more virtual numbers to your main phone number. This means that your phone may be able to receive calls from 2 or more different area codes. This virtually eliminates long-distance phoning charges for anyone calling within those numbers’ area codes.

Reason #3: Freedom from Tariffs

For the time being, calls made over the internet are not subject to a lot of the tariffs that afflict your regular phone bill. How long will this persist? There are different opinions on this in the industry, but right now it’s a nice advantage that makes for an even lower phone bill.

Reason #2: Availability of High Speed Internet

All the cost saving and convenience reasons already mentioned would not do much to propel the growth of the broadband phone market if consumers did not have access to high speed connections at their homes. Broadband phones perform the best when using cable or DSL highspeed internet connections.

Reason #1: Clarity of Sound

The top reason why broadband phone services are currently making swift inroads is that the call quality has significantly improved. All of the major players now offer services that work satisfactorily for residential use and some can consistently meet the most stringent business requirements for clarity.

Finally, considering the initial small investment that may be required to get a broadband phone account up and running, the volume of savings you are likely to experience within a short period is very significant. The flexibility, ease of use (technical know-how not needed) combined with improvement in quality definitely makes this bandwagon a good ride.

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About the Author
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Sabrina Hinds uses experience gained through implementing and supporting technology in corporate environments to help you implement telecommunications and technology that works for you - whether in residential or business environments. Visit http://broadband-phone.connection-store.com/ for more information about broadband phone services.

[You are free to use this article as long as you include the section "About the Author", including live hyperlink where at all possible.]

Broadband VoIP allows you to add a phone line to your home or office with a local phone number in just about any major U.S. city…. and with some vendors also in several countries such as the UK and Israel.

Here are some ways Businesses and families with geographical distances between them can take advantage of BroadBand Phone/VoIP:

1. Parents can add an additional line with a local number so their college son or daughter can always call home without the expense of long distance rates.

2. A family in Florida can bring up a local number in Minnesota where the rest of the family resides. Family members in Minnesota now dial a local number and reach the relatives in Florida with no long distance charges because the call is local for those in Minnesota, and only the party in Florida needs to have broadband service to receive the calls.

3. This technology can also help military families stay connected. VoIP is not restricted by global boundaries. A U.S. soldier in another country with a broadband connection can set up service with unlimited in bound calls that are local to his family in the U.S. His family then can make unlimited calls to him at no cost and his family in the U.S. doesn’t need to have broadband access. Plus any calls they make home are either “local” or are made with an unlimited flat rate plan. That saves a ton of money.

4. Traveling executives can also take advantage of VoIP as a portable phone that can be taken along on any business trip. Many hotels will provide broad band access today. Simply plug the IP phone into the broadband connection in the hotel room. Your family and customers can now call on a local number. In addition you can still take advantage of out bound service and make calls from the room as well.

5. Businesses can drastically reduce costs from traditional calling services…. with flat rate plans which cover all of the US & Canada and often including Europe &/or Asia also.

For an easy way to compare available VoIP phone options in your area (US only) browse through the vendor review info available at Broadband Reports. This info is updated frequently with new input from their Forum members. Be advised that not all providers may be included as only those having received a member review will be listed.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire
Communications….including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

Lingo is establishing itself as a VoIP service in the same space as its competitors AT&T, Verizone, and Vonage. Despite tough competition, Lingo has emerged as a real contender because of the dynamism of the features they offer and, equally important, at a price that is easy on the pocket. Lingo is the most competitively priced, and this is the deciding feature for many subscribers.

Lingo works on the same principles as any VoIP service. It comes with a software and hardware package that converts sound signals to data and transmits this data through shared lines, thus getting around the charges applicable to the regular telephone network. In simple terms, it enables you to receive or make calls through the Internet. The Lingo functionality sends your calls through the Internet to your modem, and then directs the call to a regular telephone through your Lingo phone adaptor. Your Internet connection remains uninterrupted, so Lingo works seamlessly with your regular Internet tasks such as email and data access.

Lingo is widely available, with unlimited calling plans for residents in Europe and Asia. It offers an unlimited monthly business plan at $49.95, in which you can call anyone in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe, an unlimited international business plan at $99.95, an unlimited Asia plan at $34.95, and an unlimited international plan at $79.95. Lingo carries all the features that you normally associate with a traditional phone line, and has the following Lingo-specific benefits:

• An emergency call service

• Portability of your local phone number

• Flexibility of selecting phone numbers from across the US or the world

• Free Lingo-to-Lingo calls

• Online account management, and one convenient monthly bill

• A connection booster

• Money-back guarantee

The Lingo Website lists the countries for which telephone numbers are available. Unfortunately, this list is limited now, and one hopes that Lingo will build this further.

With its impressive list of features, Lingo sounds like a good option. However, if your need is to ensure consistent voice quality rather than save money, you need to look beyond Lingo because most often Lingo will give you only average sound quality. The Web interface is not particularly friendly, and the menu design leaves room for improvement.

These disconcerting factors notwithstanding, Lingo is still the lowest priced VoIP with its set of advanced features. If you are making a large volume of international calls, particularly to Europe and Asia, it is time to switch to Lingo because you will lower your telephone bill to a miniscule amount. For example, the call rate from the US to Mumbai (India) is $0.13 and to the UK (personal) $0.28.

To top it all, you have the flexibility of the Lingo money-back guarantee to fall back on. Moreover, like Vonage, there is an incentive for recommending friends and family to Lingo: you will both get a $25 credit to your account.

Hamesh Brown enjoys writing about VoIP. See http://www.voipreviewsonline.com/2005/10/lingo_review_1.html for another Lingo review.

Why is the regional bell operating companies dropping the rates on their DSL residential service? Easy, to gain more customers. Ok, makes sense. But let’s look a little closer.

First off, VoIP is making a major push into our homes. I for one have 2 lines in my home. One for business and one for home use. I use VoIP on my business line and my local provider on the other. I also use cable broadband access. Not only is it faster, but when the time comes I can switch my home phone to VoIP and not effect my broadband connection. Yes, the government is mandating the use of ‘naked’ DSL or DSL without phone service. Expect that in a few years (maybe).

There’s the first gotcha. Choose the local telco for DSL access and eliminate the possibility of using VoIP as your primary phone line. Yes you can get VoIP as long as you continue your local telephone service as well. Remember, DSL comes into your
home on your phone line. Deactivate your phone line and without naked DSL you disconnect your internet as well.

Remember deregulation of the 80’s? Now the RBOC’s (regional bell operating companies) need to open their territories up to competition. Ok. I was putting together a quote for local/long distance for a small business. Luckily they had no need or want
for internet access. I ran the numbers for both our local RBOC as well as a competitor. The competitors’ prices beat the RBOC’s hands down. But guess what? The competitor is unable to run DSL (even if my customer wanted it). Gotcha again. RBOC’s carry a mighty sword

So, if I stick with my RBOC, I can’t use VoIP as my primary phone service. If I switch to a competitor, I may not be able to get DSL access. Hmmmm conflict or gotcha?

In all fairness, I’ve sold DSL service from RBOC’s as well as other ISP’s. The service is fine. Many of my family members use DSL and are very happy with it. It’s really not the DSL service itself that gets me frustrated at times, but rather the lack of choices. Why not use the lower cost DSL access and VoIP as a primary phone line? Because the large RBOC’s don’t want you to, that’s why. Oh sure the government is getting involved, but we’ll have to wait a few more years. (Maybe longer)

This short article is not intended solely for the informed. Many people are aware of the conflicts, FCC mandates and issues. The lines between phone usage/internet access/television are becoming more and more blurred. Keep a open mind; don’t fall
into the marketing traps of the major players. Understand the impact of your technology buying decisions. One just may effect the other. Go DSL, possibly loose VoIP. Switch to an RBOC competitor and quite possibly loose your existing DSL (or ANY DSL for that matter)

Go for cable internet access? I for one would really like to see the cable companies begin to drop their rates. They offer a good service at faster speeds. Unfortunately with the push for DSL (from come on offers starting at around $17 per month) to standard monthly rates around $21-30 per month, it’s certainly cheaper than cable internet, which is about $42-47 per month.

What I usually tell my customers is to look at the big picture. Not long ago customers wanted high speed internet at the lowest possible cost. Now what I usually tell my customers, friends and family is to also evaluate their phone usage as well.

One purchase can affect the other. If there is no pressure or need or want to convert to VoIP, then broadband DSL should be just fine. Then there’s the people with teenage kids or kids in college. Their phone bills tend to be higher. In some cases the cost may be much higher. If VoIP is going to be on their horizon, then I would recommend staying away from DSL. Do the math. Yes, you may pay a higher per month cost for cable internet service (say $20 a month more) but what would you save on your phone bill by
using VoIP? If your phone bill is $40 a month, which you cut to $20 a month using VoIP, it’s a wash. The extra savings on the phone bill offsets the higher cost of internet access. If your phone bill is higher, then you start to save more money.

Look at the big picture when deciding your broadband access needs.

Provided by the FullService Broadband Provider - http://www.fullservice-broadband-provider We provide unbiased and informative information on broadband and communication products and services. Our free service is possible through Try Right Technology, Inc. http://www.trighttech.com

Broadband phone service uses your broadband Internet connection to transmit voice signals via IP networks. This technology is commonly referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or IP Telephony. Broadband phone service converts voice signals to digital packets which are routed to their destination and reconverted at the receiving end.

Broadband phone service appears, to the user, to operate very much like the traditional telephone networks. You can use an ATA (analogue telephone adapter) that connects to a router or modem or an IP phone that connects directly to a router or modem. The difference is that with an ATA you can use your existing phones to connect to the network.

Once set up, you can use your broadband phone service to place or receive calls to or from anywhere in the world. One of the most attractive selling points of broadband phone service is the low cost of long distance and International calls. Many IP phones service providers include extra services such as call waiting, voicemail, and caller ID at no additional cost.

There are a few drawbacks that you need to be aware of if you are planning to switch to broadband phone service. You must, of course, have access to a high-speed Internet connection and if your Internet connection is down you lose your phone service until you get back on line. There are still some reliability and security issues but it’s likely that these will soon be addressed as consumer and business demand for broadband phone service increases.

Gary Caskennette is the owner of VoIP Place, a news and information site about the rapidly developing technology of Voice over Internet Protocol. More information can be found at VoIP Place.

The Internet gives you an easy access to information and services and it is becoming the wave of the future. With the hype of broadband enabled services, competition is increasing and prices are dropping. Broadband has opened a whole new world of creative opportunities for individuals and businesses alike and has made ordinary Internet browsing extraordinary. With amazing speeds and reliable connections, all Internet activities are best performed with a dependable speedy connection. Gone are the days of expensive phone calls and slow speed Internet access. Today, broadband allows you to access Internet at lightening speed from home or anywhere at the most affordable prices.

Looking from the consumer’s point of view, it’s good news for them, as they would obviously like to pay less for a service. People are becoming aware of broadband services available for low prices and so they are switching from dial-up to broadband. Apart from the prices, a number of factors like faster downloads, the introduction of Voice of Internet Protocol (VoIP), offering customers free, or extraordinarily cheap, telephone calls; and the enormous success of online computer games has led to the switch over from dialup to broadband.

It is expected that the prices will continue to fall and customers will continue to get more for their money. Customers are always looking for the providers offering less price and more quality and are willing to switch their existing service provider if he doesn’t fit their needs. But the biggest problem for the customers wanting to take advantage of lower rates by switching their provider is paying a service charge to the provider for installing a modem.

With the competition among Internet providers becoming more severe every day, consumers are getting great choice. A number of providers are willing to cut down their prices to match their competitor and get business. Changes and technological advances in the world of broadband are happening all the time. The price wars have finally begun with the competition soaring among high-speed Internet providers. Cable companies are also competing with the broadband providers in a bid to gain their position in the market by slashing prices and increasing access speeds.

Alen

UK mobile phone directory

What is a broadband phone? How does a broadband phone work? Where do I find broadband phone service? How much can I expected to pay for a broadband phone and broadband phone service? These are the questions I have asked and set out to answer in this article.

What is a broadband phone? A broadband phone is essentially a telephone that makes calls to another telephone via a broadband connection.

How does a broadband phone work? When a phone call is placed the call is routed by a private branch exchange (PBX) from a company like AT&T, SBC, or Sprint. The difference is that the data from the phone call, which is the voice data from you speaking, is transferred back and forth through the internet using a technology called voice over IP (VoIP). A traditional phone transfers data over phone lines.

Where do I find broadband phone service and how much does it cost? A list of broadband phone service providers and their lowest monthly rates is below.

Broadband Phone Service Providers
Lingo - $19.99
Net2Phone - $14.99
SpeakEasy - $83.90
Voice Eclipse - $12.95
Voice Pulse - $14.99
Vonage - $14.99
ZingoTel - $14.95

I hope I have been able to answer some of your basic questions concerning broadband phones and goodluck with your future broadband phone endeavors.

Jason D. Barrett is currently focused on writing articles for InfoBriefs.com (Brief reports on several topics), ChildInsure.com (Child Insurance), and ScoutTechnology.com.