Internet From Outer-Space: Broadband now available for all in Europe thanks to the European Space Agency

Thirty years of continuous investment by ESA is enabling European satellite operators to deliver broadband to all EU citizens by the end of the year.

Anyone can now find a local distributor online to supply Internet connectivity via satellite, even in the remotest areas.

For many years, ESA has been working closely with European satellite operators and industry to promote satellite broadband as a key element in closing the digital divide in Europe. For decades, ESA has pioneered advanced technologies that have made satellite broadband possible. As far back as 1989, Olympus – the world’s largest telecom satellite at the time – demonstrated new market applications using the ‘Ka-band’ frequencies in the microwave spectrum.

Ka-band has since proved itself as well suited for satellite broadband, as demonstrated by the Hylas and Ka-Sat satellite systems in Europe.

Other innovations pioneered by ESA include powerful multibeam antennas working at Ku- and Ka-band frequencies, and designs that allow a single satellite to simultaneously serve hundreds of thousands of users throughout Europe with Internet access.

Hylas-1, launched in 2010 and operated commercially by Avanti Communications of London, is the first satellite dedicated to delivering broadband Internet services to Europe. Its unique payload can be reconfigured in orbit, thanks to a design developed by ESA in partnership with EADS Astrium in the UK.

This means that satellites can adapt to market demands, essentially future-proofing them during their typically 15-year lifetimes.

Whereas Hylas provides connectivity at mainly fixed locations, Alphasat, launched in July 2013 by UK operator Inmarsat to expand its fleet, offers a broad array of mobile broadband services.

Thanks to these ground-breaking developments, Internet connectivity via satellite is now an attractive option for homes and businesses throughout Europe.

The EU has established the goal of having 30 Mbit/s satellite coverage available to all EU citizens by 2020. ESA is supporting the development of next-generation satellites and systems to help meet that target. ESA is also encouraging market developments and applications that are paving the way for the next generation of satellite broadband.

The EU has established the goal of having 30 Mbit/s satellite coverage available to all EU citizens by 2020. ESA is supporting the development of next-generation satellites and systems to help meet that target. ESA is also encouraging market developments and applications that are paving the way for the next generation of satellite broadband.

With the support of the European Commission, an online tool from the European Satellite Operators Association is now available to help anyone find a local satellite broadband distributor and an installer – no matter where they live. 

Read more: Broadband for all in Europe thanks to ESA / Telecommunications & Integrated Applications / Our Activities / ESA

Internet: Is Poland finally getting out of the broadband slow lane?

Alcatel Lucent, fibre company Hawe and network infrastructure provider TP Teltech have been given the green light to establish a new joint venture aimed at boosting broadband in Poland.

It's about time: the country is seriously lagging behind its European neighbours on fixed broadband.
The joint venture, which got the necessary approval from Polish regulator UOKiK last week, will roll out  broadband infrastructure in five voivodships (provinces) in the east of Poland: Warmia-Masuria, Lublin, Swietokrzyskie, Subcarpathian and Podlasie.

The five rollouts are being funded under the European Commission's Digital Agenda for Europe plan. The scheme's goal is to give all European citizens broadband connections of at least 30Mbps by 2020 and have half of households able to access at least 100Mbps. The Commission has given Poland around €1.5bn to spend between 2007 and 2013 to help achieve the plan's aims – and it's thought around 1bn zlotys of that (€250m) remains to be spent.

For more: Is Poland finally getting out of the broadband slow lane? | ZDNet

Why is European broadband faster and cheaper than in the US ? Blame the government -- by Rick Karr

If you've stayed with friends who live in European cities, you've probably had an experience like this: You hop onto their WiFi or wired internet connection and realize it's really fast. Way faster than the one that you have at home. It might even make your own DSL or cable connection feel as sluggish as dialup.

It's really that bad. The nation that invented the internet ranks 16th in the world when it comes to the speed and cost of our broadband connections. That's according to a study released last year by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission.

For more: Why is European broadband faster and cheaper? Blame the government -- Engadget

EU Broadband Take-up Pulls Ahead of US, but Speeds Still Low

Nine European Union member states -- Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K. -- have broadband take-up above the U.S. level of 26.4 subscriptions per 100 individuals, the European Commission announced Thursday.

But Europe still lags behind Asian countries, particularly Japan and South Korea, in broadband speeds. In July, just 29 percent of E.U. broadband lines had speeds of at least 10Mbps, and only 5 percent of lines had average speeds at or above 30Mbps.

The Commission wants to see all broadband connections at speeds of least 30Mbps by 2020, and has set a target of at least half of European households subscribing to speeds above 100Mbps.

For more: EU Broadband Take-up Pulls Ahead of US, but Speeds Still Low - PCWorld Business Center

Sweden has Europe's 2nd fastest broadband: report - The Local

Broadband speeds in Sweden are quicker than in any other European country bar Romania. Sweden clinched second spot in Europe with an average broadband speed of 5.7 Mbps, behind Romania which stayed on top with 6.2 Mbps.

However, broadband speeds in Europe pale in comparison to averages clocked in Asia. South Korea leads the pack by quites some distance with average speeds of 14.6 Mbps, followed by Japan with 7.6 Mbps.

For more: Sweden has Europe's 2nd fastest broadband: report - The Local

Broadbandcensus: European Union Takes Its Own Open Internet Stance - by Winter Casey

For the complete report from BroadbandCensus.com click on this link

While the U.S. takes steps to make so-called Network Neutrality principles mandatory under official rules, the European Union moved forward this week with its own set of internet access requirements. Under the proposed EU rules, “national telecoms authorities will have the powers to set minimum quality levels for network transmission services” so as to promote Net neutrality or “net freedoms” for European citizens. In addition, owing to new transparency requirements, consumers must be informed – before signing a contract – about the nature of the service to which they are subscribing. Such disclosures must include traffic management techniques and their impact on service quality, as well as any other limitations (such as bandwidth caps or available connection speed).

The consumer protection clause states that “names, email addresses and bank account information of the customers of telecoms and internet service providers, and especially the data about every phone call and internet session, need to be kept safe from accidentally or deliberately ending up in the wrong hands.”

NYT: Europe Says It Leads U.S. in Broadband Use- by James Kanter

For the complete report from the NYTimes.com click on this link

Europe Says It Leads U.S. in Broadband Use - by James Kanter

The European Union has re-established its lead over the United States in the use of high-speed computer connections, making the Continent “the world leader in broadband Internet,” the European Commission said on Tuesday. Europe’s broadband lead over the United States narrowed to about one percentage point after 2004, when poorer countries from Eastern Europe joined the bloc, said Martin Selmayr, a spokesman for Ms. Reding. The European Union has since regained a lead of three percentage points over the United States, with 23 percent of European homes and business using fixed-line broadband, compared with 20 percent in the United States, Mr. Selmayr said.

Viviane Reding, the commissioner who oversees the Internet, said that the spread of the technology could help power the European economic recovery and that continuing the development of high-speed Internet could create two million jobs by 2015. But she also warned that obstacles needed to be overcome to maximize the economic benefits from digital networks. In particular, Ms. Reding said, European Union member countries should make it easier for new entrants in telecommunications markets. “Governments must show leadership by adopting coordinated policies that dismantle existing barriers to new services,” she said. Despite Europe’s leading position, a third of European Union citizens have never used the Internet, and only 7 percent have bought goods or services online from a vendor based in a neighboring country, Ms. Reding said.

Wash.Post/mocoNews - 11.6 Percent Of European Broadband Connections Are Mobile - by James Quintana Pearce

For the complete report from mocoNews/washingtonpost.com click on this link

11.6 Percent Of European Broadband Connections Are Mobile - by James Quintana Pearce

High Speed packet Access (HSPA) accounted for 11.6 percent of PC broadband connections in Europe at the end of last year, according to Berg Insight that includes "active, data-only subscriptions involving USB dongles and embedded broadband" and excludes connections via mobile phones, notes ZDNet UK. The number of people who connect to the internet via HSPA/LTE on their PCs in Europe group by 74 percent year-on-year to 14.6 million, and is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 30 percent over the next five years to hit 70 million in 2014. The sudden spike last year is attributed to carriers cutting the price of the mobile broadband connections, which are now far cheaper than they are in North America.

In North America only 4.5 percent of broadband connections are over mobile broadband technologies, but the market is expected to grow 43 percent each year to hit 35 million subscribers by the end of 2014. Berg Insight predicts that broadband service providers will have to offer their subscribers multiple access methods, and that "LTE will prevail as the main wireless technology also in North America. The idea to construct another nationwide network in the US based on any alternative technology does not seem credible in the current financial climate". Most experts, however, agree this would not be a good strategy and put the US far behind on the Internet development curve.

VNUNet: Europe seeing strong broadband growth - by Ian Williams

For the complete report from vnunet.com click on this link

Europe seeing strong broadband growth - by Ian Williams

Broadband markets across Europe are seeing continued growth in all areas, according to recent research by Frost & Sullivan. The Broadband Market in Europe report attributed the growth to deregulatory initiatives across the region and the ongoing shift towards integrated services such as triple- or quad-play. Frost & Sullivan said that another major growth factor is growing demand for highly customised broadband-based services. Customers appear willing to pay extra for high-quality broadband services such as video-on-demand and other multimedia content. "As we begin to embrace the era of digital lifestyles, providers have begun to focus on providing interactive communication services," said Julia Martusewicz-Kulinska, a research analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

DW: Broadband and Mobile Internet Boom in Europe

For the complete report from Deutsche Welle click on this link

Broadband and Mobile Internet Boom in Europe

The number of Europeans with high-speed broadband connections rose sharply last year. More than 50,000 European homes and offices acquired a high-speed connection every day in 2007. In addition to the increase in broadband usage, ever more people are also using the Internet when they're out and about, according to the European Commission. The adoption of mobile 3G services doubled in 2007, to 88 million users, approximately one-fifth of the European Union's population.he Commission attributed the increase in broadband access, in part, to the increase in competition in the telecommunications market, which has cut prices to new lows.

FOCUS Information Agency: Denmark is EU’s top country in broadband Internet service, Bulgaria and Romania come last

FOCUS Information Agency

Denmark is EU’s top country in broadband Internet service, Bulgaria and Romania come last

Denmark is the EU’s top country in terms of usage of broadband internet, Bulgaria and Romania come last in the chart, DPA reported, citing a report of the EU. At least 37.2% of the Danish population use broadband Internet, which makes Denmark the world’s first country in that sense, second comes the Netherlands. Bulgaria and Romania that acceded the EU in 2007 are last in the chart respectively with 5.7% and 6.6%. According to the report of the European Commission the richest EU member states are the greatest consumers of broadband Internet. However, Spain and Italy have a rate that is below the EU’s average – 18.2%, whereas Estonia’s broadband Internet service rate is 20%, much above Germany’s rate.

Public-cio: Denmark, Netherlands Lead OECD in Broadband Penetration

For the complete report in public-cio click on this link

Denmark, Netherlands Lead OECD in Broadband Penetration

Over the past year, said the OECD in a release, the number of broadband subscribers in the OECD increased 26 percent from 157 million in December 2005 to 197 million in December 2006. This growth increased broadband penetration rates in the OECD from 13.5 in December 2005 to 16.9 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants one year later.

The strongest per-capita subscriber growth over the year comes from Denmark and the Netherlands.