Broadband and Me

ntl and LLU

FT.com / Home UK - NTL to spend up to £65m on 'local loop unbundling'

I knew this was coming and in some respects it has been around for some time but good news to see that expansion is finally back on the cards. I think that this is the right strategy for the business long term - a combination of market and product development really is the only option

Two responses from me:

The first is that ntl still needs to get the customer experience right. I believe that this is improving as management, technology and organisational changes take hold. While I know that doesn't help those people who are upset with ntl, I feel we are moving in the right direction - could do with being faster but then it might not produce the results our customers deserve (I am a customer too btw).

So when the new greater ntl emerges my profound hope is that how we respond to customers is much improved too.

Second point is that now Ofcom have forced BT's hand with LLU and prices, will they focus on Other licenced operators (OLO) next? If so will that mean ntl having to unbundle its local loop to competitors? Will that necessarily be good for the industry? Don't know the answers but do know that competition is only going to get more fierce in the medium term.

If you are quick, you can also go and buy a second hand transmitter network... Shame :(

Echoes of Blogwalk

Blogwalk certainly woke me up with regard to blogging. I've started paying more attention to my Feed reader which was feeling a bit lonely (Feed-Demon).

You might have noticed some subtle differences to the site thanks to Julian's promptings (see this comment), and having a look at his latest posting stumbled across some useful tools. Firstly Feedburner - I have now also changed my feeds to the following - would appreciate it if you can update :)

Weblog feed
Comments feed

I also noted Flickr, which looks like a great tool for photos and moboblogging. Once I get a new phone this is going to happen (yeah!).

And del.icio.us also appears interesting - a tool for capturing sites of interest and sharing with others. Haven't tried this yet but expect to see some posts related to this soon (I think)

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Blogwalk 4 (and other things)

Upstairs at the Old Crown
I attended the Blogwalk 4 meeting on Friday in London, unfortunately only for the morning as need to attend another meeting. Seems like I missed some good stuff not least the lunch and the walk :(

Good to see Johnnie again and rewarding to meet:

Lilia
Lloyd Davis
Martin Roell
Anu Gupta
Louise Ferguson
Suw Charman
Ed Mitchell
Julian Elve
Ian Glendinning
Chris Macrae
Riccardo Cambiassi
Desiree Gosby
Omar Green

Shame Ton couldn't attend as I was looking forward to meeting him.

The primary focus of blogging within the firewall gave rise to a number of themes which have exercised me for a while namely:

Why are corporates so afraid of losing control of comms? (after all they have already lost it)
How can you 'justify' blogging within a company? This can be to an external audience (outside the firewall) as well as internally (inside the firewall) - (guerilla tactics?)
Can you use an authentic voice? (sometimes, but there is an element of editing and adaption of voice)
Is the channel of a blog more compelling than other media channels? e.g. website, email, bulletin board, etc. (Yes, in certain situations, particularly when authentic and use of storytelling)

After I left
Seems like Julian got tasked with looking at internal wiki/blog tools along with user requirements.

Lilia has gone onto AOIR 5.0 (which seems equally stimulating - I think I should be there rather than at work!)

Biggest benefit
Although I took a lot away from the topics themselves, the most rewarding aspect was that the event challenged me to start thinking about things more deeply again. I think I need to start blogging about experience more to gain a better perspective on things.

Other Things
On a semi-related note, noticed this post on Monkeymagic regarding the virtues of the tea-break and chit chat.

Secondly Johnnie remarks on a similar topic of learning and collective intelligence:

Traditional models of group thinking seem based on me trying to cement my well-formed brick of thought to your well-formed brick. Increasingly, I find much more satisfaction in sharing the less-formed ideas and responses I have to conversations. I sense that by doing so, it's possible to create some sense of joint intelligence that can get beyond existing mental models.

I think Blogwalk 4 illustrated that for me - throw in a few ideas and anecdotes and see where others take them - a little like improvisation perhaps Johnnie?

Broadband now bigger than dial up!

BBC NEWS | Technology | Broadband starts to rival dial-up

Broadband now has more people using it than unmetered dial up in the UK. Although it still has some way to go before becoming the most common connection type as most people use pay as you go dial up services.

31% now use broadband compared to the 69% dial up (which is comprised of 29% unmetered and 35% payg) according to the Office for National Statistics.

Presumably at this rate mid way through next year broadband will be the dominant connection type.

Britons like wind farms?

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Britons 'in favour of wind farms'

Despite a number of recent articles to the contrary, Britons apparently like wind farms. I can myself see both sides of the argument, although for me a truely renewable energy source like wind power must be one of the ways forward to solve our energy needs (along with others such as solar power). Any new development must be considered in context and a proper cost / benefit analysis undertaken.

Give Blood

Gave blood yesterday. Apparently I move up to the next rank and get a nice blue donor card rather than my current red one. Anyway the reason for this is to encourage you to go out and give blood. I'm am very nervous around needles and blood but still manage to go through with it, so go give it a try.

UK: Blood Donation

US: Red Cross

Canada: Canadian Blood Services

Taiwan: Blood Donation Services

If anyone else from other countries gives blood then please direct people via comments or drop me a mail and I'll post the URL.

You could save lives by doing this, so take 15 minutes out of your life and as the Donation Service in Britain says, 'Do something amazing!'

Echoing

Seth's Blog: One more thought about the echo chamber

If you're defining yourself and your business in terms of your competition, you're living in the echo chamber. Companies and organizations don't grow fast at the expense of existing competitors. They grow fast for reasons that have nothing whatever to do with whether your service is 5% better or your product is a little more convenient.

You don't beat McKinsey with better consulting advice, you don't raise more money than the United Way by spending it more efficiently, and you don't sell more widgets with a slightly longer guarantee.

Seth putting the case for innovation and (I think) against the pervidious benchmarking. Unfortunately, it seems, that benchmarking or 'defining your business in terms of your competitors' is what a large part of the corporate world seems to do and seems to expect.

" I've just come up with this great innovation" says Em ployee. "Ah.. but what are our competitors doing? Do they have one?", Mr Boss asks. "Well... No, its a brand new idea we've developed.", Em replies. "Then 'no takers' here I'm afraid. Need to benchmark against the competition, let them make the first move..."

Sound familiar?

Corporate Governance

Johnnie Moore's Weblog: Governance: not by the numbers

Haven't blogged Johnnie for a while:

I think there's a desire to reduce our complex, mysterious human behaviour to a set of mechanical formulae as a way to feel safe in an uncertain world. Nothing wrong with wanting to feel safe - but I fear that such an approach is often counter-productive, encouraging us to trust experts instead of paying attention to the subtle evidence of our senses.

Couldn't agree more about governance. It seems far more to do with the numbers and the formulae than actually getting up to present a case. Perhaps its American fascination with numbers and mathematics compared to the British and European tendancy to words and argument (in its purest sense).

Although perhaps this is 'self-proclaimed' experts rather than people with real understanding?

WIFI Security gets stepped up

BBC NEWS | Technology | Wi-fi nets get security makeover

...Problems with the original encryption system built in to the wi-fi specifications, called Wired Equivalent Privacy, made it possible for patient hackers to work out the keys used to scramble data being sent through the air.

This original security system was replaced by an interim technology called Wi-fi Protected Access (WPA) which has now also been updated.

WPA2 uses a US government-approved encryption system to scramble data and also does a more rigorous job of checking that people who want to use a wireless net have permission to do so.

At last WPA2 makes its appearance. Let's hope its soon in equipment. I certainly could do with upgrading when I get chance.

Time to blog again

Ludwig Wittgenstein
"I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves."

I noticed this little gem posted on Quotes of the Day and it made me laugh, although i suspect its not meant to be humourous!

Haven't had a lot of time lately to update the blog but I have made myself a promise to get going again. I thought a little update on things might be useful too!

Marketing Course - CIM

Amazingly (well to me anyway) I manage to pass my CIM course. I now have a mraketing qualification (apparently its now called a Professional Diploma in Marketing). In a moment of madness, chatting to my fellow CIM suffer Colin we have both signed up for another years of angst (well 2 nights per week of 3 hours of lectures and 2 sets of 2 exams). Wish me luck! I am sure I will need more than last year...

Holiday

Had a wonderful holiday in mid Wales, a place called Tywyn. Its where the 'first' hertitage railway is the Tallylyn (that's tal ich lyn for those of a non-welsh disposition). We managed to visit 8 heritage railways as well as a trip along the Cambrian coast and particularly enjoyed the beach at Fairbourne.

A Land Rover tour by a local holiday cottages owner (and dare I say it slight eccentric) Nick Smyth was truely breath taking. We saw the tops of the hills where iron age burial mounds and standing stones are quite prolific. Nick (or Mr Smiley as my son insisted on saying) also spoke of ley lines and dowsing, and of how he had discovered several lines on his visits to the hills. I am personally skeptical but the strength of belief and the evidence is quite convincing.

My personal favourite visit was to the Centre for Alternative Technology which is near Machynlleth (pron: mac 'un leth). Open to the public this features many exhibits which promote the use of 'alternative' technology or environmentally friendly ways of living. I really enjoyed playing around with the wave generator and looking at the ways of making compost (it sounds dull but it isn't). I was also impressed with the cafe. Great food. We also visited the satellite cafe & health food shop in Machynlleth itself which was also good.

We enjoyed several slices of Welsh culture, partly through places such as King Arthur's Labyrinth (near Corris) and also through the very wonderful Celtica (also in Machynlleth). Learning about the Celts and their culture was very interesting and the interactive exhibits were great! In places it was slightly jingoistic (or maybe defiant) but then I am an Englishman.

The prevelance of Welsh everywhere was quite refreshing and in some cases surprising. It did feel that I was somewhere 'foreign' sometimes not that this was a bad thing merely unexpected. My favourite example of this was at the Corris Railway where the lady behind the counter kept calling me 'bach' (a term of affection) after every sentence.

Go there - the scenery is beautifaul, the people wonerful and there is plenty to do.

Work

Lots going on on the work front especially in terms of online customer service initiatives. Also lots going on in terms of new broadband initiaitves. I'll hopefully talk more about these in future.

Comments (as long as they are not SPAM!!!) gratefully received.