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Re: [LUG] Pigeon beats ISP for data transfer...

 

Rob Beard wrote:
Gordon Henderson wrote:
Telkom's stand alone ADSL services are available in 3 speed offerings namely:

    * Fast DSL up to 384kbps
    * Faster DSL up to 512kbps
    * Fastest DSL up to 4096kbps

Wow - they consider "fast" to be 384Kb/sec. Upstream is 128Kb/sec.

Gordon

Hmmm, maybe they're living in 2001?

I'd say 512kbps WAS fast back then when you'd upgrade from dial up, I never thought I'd need faster than 512kbps. In fact I probably don't need any faster for most things although I must admit I have been spoilt with faster speeds. I'm not going for the 50 Meg broadband from Virgin though, although it's only £8 extra a month, I can think of other things I'd rather spend the £96 a
512k is fast - I can maintain 3 pc's , upload to and from websites quite happily.
I (think I) can download 8 hours of HD TV on it.
I would imagine in Africa in general they havent yet succumbed to the data-decompression techniques so beloved of marketing in this country that means a 2k info exchange requires 64meg BB and a very powerful media-pc to watch a flash of something when all you really wanted was to find out how much a widget cost.

Faster BB is like having a Porche and only ever driving on the M25 in rush hour. You can get a buzz from doing 120 between queues but you aint getting there any faster than the guy in the campervan who gets to relax and drink fresh tea in the queues while you stupidly think you'll get a much faster car next time and cut everybody up and still get there after the campervan and need 2 hours chilling time.
Most people cant process more that 14.4k - just hoard it!
Potts law - noise will expand to fill whatever bandwidth you have available and your true data rate will be almost inversely proportional to you payed for bandwidth.
Tom te tom te tom


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