Broadband: it's not all about speed, you know

Telcos urged to focus on service quality

Broadband providers should concentrate on delivering high service quality rather than chasing ever-greater speeds.

So says a report from Point topic, which argues that raising sustained service levels is essential if punters are to adopt new applications.

Motives, means and applications maintains that a high data rate is of no value for many applications unless it is continuous.

"It must not come and go while the user is trying to watch a football game or have a phone conversation," says the report.

"The conclusion that broadband providers should focus on raising service levels is controversial because much of the emphasis in developing DSL technology has been on achieving ever higher data rates," it said.

Asked to comment, one industry insider told The Register: "I couldn't agree more." ®