On 18 Jan 96  23:26:48, Eric Ooms emerged from Reality 

 to speak about www speed



 EO> I happened to be reading a computer magazine when I saw an article on

 EO> the "Information Super-Highway". As the article correctly
suggested

 EO> there is no way the WWW could be called the "Information super
Highway"

 EO> It's much more like an "Information Super Footpath".
According to the



 EO> I have to agree totally to this and think that the large service

 EO> providers are not doing their job. The public has to demand more direct

 EO> overseas links and faster respose times!



 EO> I don't know if you all agree - some providers might be faster than

 EO> others but ones I have seen are much too slow - you spend so much time

 EO> waiting for a large page to arrive it's not worth the cost!



Eric,

I do agree with you on this.  Internet 10 years ago was OK - with about 

1/100 of the number of users we have now.  Nearly all of whom want GRAPHICS

in 256+ colours nowadays.

Text-only, especially in the small hours of the morning, is a lot quicker.

Try FTP for large files, if you can.



The solutions to this problem are all very expensive.  Either (a) launch a

new communications satellite into geosynchronous orbit - cost ~$1000 million;

or (b) lay a fibre-optic cable across the Pacific Ocean - cost ~$500-1000

million depending on its operating capacity.  Not many companies can outlay

this sort of money.  Those that can won't do it out of charity either.  Optus

can't do it straightaway as they are a bit out of pocket with one lost

satellite, laying cable TV everywhere, and fending off Telstra and competitors.



Telstra ultimately controls just about all the Internet links out of Australia,

has a lot of $ tied up in providing Internet services to the public, and owns 

most of the phone network.  In short, it is in *their* interest (not *yours*)

to keep you online for as long as possible and charge as high a price/minute

as possible.  This is the power of being a monopoly, and one of the ways in

which Telstra make their billion or two profit each year from just 18 million

Australians.



The Federal Government have committed themselves to providing every Australian

with electronic network services.  I reckon this is just more of their usual

vote-catching dribble; but in the meantime, why don't you harass your local

Federal MP about this problem?  Let him/her KNOW this is an ISSUE that could

affect their chances of re-election and they might do something about it.

Emphasise the good aspects of Internetting - my MP, for example, is one who

regards it as a network of terrorists & paedophiles and wants to stop it.

Be persistent, and remember that most politicians are total idiots on matters

technological... :)



Good luck,   Fraser





... REAL test for Duracell Bunny: find a brain cell in Federal Parliament

--- Blue Wave/Max v2.12 [NR]