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I have a number in my head as to what I consider broadband. It's not an unreasonable number but it certainly does exceed what is available to the average consumer.

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Oh wise nanogers, what speeds do we need to achieve for the average consumer before we truly have broadband?

Neglecting the debate about how to define "broadband," I've long maintained that homes and small offices should have whatever people have at work - otherwise telecommuting, small businesses, contractors, and such are at a big disadvantage. That makes "broadband" (or perhaps "standard practice") a moving target. A few years ago that was 10mbps. Today 100bps is becoming the norm (and most PCs come with 10/100 cards). Pretty soon we're talking gigabit ethernet. If you're deploying a new system today, gigabit fiber-to-the-home seems the way to go. Check out www.worldwidepackets.com to see what's available to support that. Miles ************************************************************************** The Center for Civic Networking PO Box 600618 Miles R. Fidelman, President & Newtonville, MA 02460-0006 Director, Municipal Telecommunications Strategies Program 617-558-3698 fax: 617-630-8946 mfidelman@civicnet.org http://civic.net/ccn.html Information Infrastructure: Public Spaces for the 21st Century Let's Start With: Internet Wall-Plugs Everywhere Say It Often, Say It Loud: "I Want My Internet!" **************************************************************************