Citation
Webb, K. (2000), "The First 100 Feet: Options for Internet and Broadband Access", Internet Research, Vol. 10 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr.2000.17210caf.006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited
The First 100 Feet: Options for Internet and Broadband Access
Reviews
The First 100 Feet: Options for Internet and Broadband Access
Hurley, D. and Keller, J.H. (Eds)The MIT PressCambridge, Mass1999209 pp.ISBN: 0-262-58160-4$25Available: MIT Press, 5 Cambridge Centre, Cambridge, MA 02142-1493. Tel: 800 356 0343 or 617 625 8569; Fax: 6l7 625 6660.
The Internet has been outstandingly successful in its penetration through the community. Most people experienced it first in the workplace or the university, and only after that did it make its mark in the home. Still, most homes in the US, Europe, and other developed countries have not yet become connected to the Net. Some of the reasons why widespread home connectivity has not been achieved are related to cost, performance, and convenience associated with the first 100 feet from the home to the nearest communication channel.
This book looks at issues associated with bridging this gap - mostly telecommunications policy and business issues - and examines the responses from local government, utility companies, and community organisations.
The main problem with the book is one that you would find in any print publication trying to cover a topic in which there is continuing change. It provides plenty of theoretical background, but most of the projects discussed are out of date and many more recent developments have not been covered. An example is the VDSL technology which is being deployed in various locations around the world; which leads to another problem - the book is very US-oriented. Indeed, the only time that the rest of the world gets mentioned is in relation to other countries' attitudes to satellite transmissions. Readers are entitled to a broader view in such an important area as this.
So, if you want a book that addresses issues relevant to developments in the US in the late 1990s, you'll find some benefit in this one. Otherwise, keep looking.
Kerry WebbACT Department of Urban ServicesCanberra, Australia