US Cable Support > Charter Internet/TV > 16mb / 2mb Status Update

reply to mbkowns

Re: 16mb / 2mb Status Update

i know that if the 16/2 speeds are being deployed that the next two modulation schemes are being worked out now. The faster the speed is pushed the more perfect the cable plant needs to be. He is what i know about getting stuff perfect, it is hard. the modulation scheme needed to keep the speed makes any ingress, egress a greater killer to internet access. These speeds will continue to increase, market by market. System by system. Every time that capacity is increased in the computer world, there is no shortage of new things that use the latest and greatest, no matter what it is, internet speed included.

reply to neofate
* Multiple users per home,
* Start-up anti-virus updates,
* Start-up Auto OS updates,
* TiVO's attached to the internet
* You tube
* Emerging apps like packet8's standalone videophone
* Enhanced "second life" type games
* VPN home-corporate loading

-- all add to swamp even a 10mbs connection at peak usage. More and more of us are experiencing more and more of this loading. Bandwidth should never be "just enough" -- it should be always be more than we need by some large factor, like at least 2x. Right now, 10 mbs will just barely cut-it for a upper middle class family of 4.

I do get 17/2mbs from charter. I never notice any bandwidth limitations -- like I did at peak usage with 10mbs. 30/2mbs would allow for even more apps that I know we'll be growing into. I'm about to move into a FiOS area, so I guess I'll find out (still, Charter got it right with my 17mbs connection )
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Instant bugging and GPS location info -- thanks to your cell phone and Bush's warrantless NSA! »news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6140191.html

What areas are testing? Seemed like the 10mb testing was very short least the rumor side of it. I wonder when they might release it here in Riverside California.
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- MBK (AIM = IllMBKllI)

reply to ronpin
No love for the plains...

Yea, one day. I won't be here when that "one day" comes.

Verizon has installed FIOS here in Long Beach--I would settle for Charter just getting competitive with DSL pricing :-/

reply to ronpin

said by ronpin:

* Multiple users per home,
* Start-up anti-virus updates,
* Start-up Auto OS updates,
* TiVO's attached to the internet
* You tube
* Emerging apps like packet8's standalone videophone
* Enhanced "second life" type games
* VPN home-corporate loading

-- all add to swamp even a 10mbs connection at peak usage. More and more of us are experiencing more and more of this loading. Bandwidth should never be "just enough" -- it should be always be more than we need by some large factor, like at least 2x. Right now, 10 mbs will just barely cut-it for a upper middle class family of 4.

I do get 17/2mbs from charter. I never notice any bandwidth limitations -- like I did at peak usage with 10mbs. 30/2mbs would allow for even more apps that I know we'll be growing into. I'm about to move into a FiOS area, so I guess I'll find out (still, Charter got it right with my 17mbs connection )

Competition is always good. Hoping to see a drop in prices and a bump in speed as U-verse starts to cover more of the SoCal areas. Its coming to my neighborhood and they are trialing 25/2 in FIOS Texas markets. I say bring it on.

BTW DSL2 is in my area so maybe that is why I got 10mb faster maybe that will help me get the 16mb \ 2mb quick
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- MBK (AIM = IllMBKllI)

I've heard Monticello/Buffalo area has/was/is testing 16/2, I know we had multiple mid night outages because of it as well a month ago.

reply to neofate
I personally would love to see more upload capabilities. Even if not everyone uses what's available to them, the option should still be there for those like myself who would want to take advantage of it. I have large data files, and I'd like to be able to back them up to my dedicated server so that they're off site from me, so in the event I have drive failure or something like that, I haven't lost my data. Not to mention I can access it no matter where I may be, such as at a friends house. I can recall a few years ago when optimum online offered 10/1 speeds, while the rest of North America was around 3/256 or at best 5/768. We all dreamed of having Optonline 10/1 speeds. Now, I don't believe there's a U.S. cable company that doesn't have a 10/1 option. Now though, Optonline offers the option of 30/5 speeds for it's users, using the same cable modems the rest of us use. Yet everywhere else I've seen, including business offerings over cable, the highest upstream speed providers offer is 2Mbps. So I have to wonder, why is Optimum online the only cable internet service willing to offer it's users a 5Mbps upstream option? What are they doing that nobody else in the entire country is willing to try? By no means am I knocking 2mbps upload, it's certainly better than 256k, but if users could get a 5mbit upload tier, that's more than double 2Mbit/sec, and things could get done even quicker in my book. Even in FIOS areas where folks can get 30/5 FIOS, cable still only offers 2Mbps upstream. I can only guess that 2mbps is the limit for a single upstream channel and optimum online is doing 2 channel bonding to achieve 5m upload? In any case, I believe we've got plenty of downstream, now let's improve the upload for those that would want it!

I'd like to see either a conglamorate government network created or FCC regulated latency standards before more upload becomes the next damn hot topic. I work from home A LOT and 1mbps up is pretty fine. Latency is important for VPN, Exchange Servers, etc. to act more 'happy'. People are jumping on the throughput train way too much. I want the USA to be known for killer low latency, not the most throughput. The country is too big to deploy what some other countries the size of Andorra have deployed (and brag about until even after the Brokeback Mountain boys come back home... ew... I kinda freaked myself out there... anyway). SURE 2mbps or 5mbps would be great but better latency standards and people at AT&T or Qwest or whatever douche network performing planned or accidental maintenance every other week causing problems for people that can't pinpoint the problem is the real culprit... not your local throughput baby.

Oh and the govt thing? They can see your crap anyway if they want so why not make it an FCC/govt thing where it's a bunch of inter-connected rings so the ping is never more than 100ms for any user point to point to any location in the USA. THAT, my friend, would make everything scream in a happy fashion... not another 1mpbs upload...

Dave,

I usually don't disagree with you, but I'm not so sure about the Government involvement.

For the main reason,.. Government doesn't always = Better.

Also, I know it is cliche, but the government has SO much control already, do we really want them in on this as well?

I'm all for Latency standards, and accountability to maintain X standards. That are governed by a foreboding body, not a 'franchise' that may or may not act, and in its actions may or may not be effective. (Not to mention that doesn't have much to do with the backbone infrastructure).

For speeds -- I see it more of a ratio. Ten to One is pushing it a bit. Optimum is running Six to One.

So, take Optimum, use their ratio, push them to a 10Meg package. What is the net result?

10/1.5 (Technically 1.66) Sounds fair, and is easily doable with the infrastructure we have now. Charter could alter its 10meg plan to 10/1.5 -- which is not THAT much different.

Think about the 3meg plan -- Its 12/1 -- the 5meg plan is back to the 10/1 ratio.

If you take a look at DSL options, their ratios are all over the board with no seeming rhyme or reason. Bottom line, yes Upload speed can be boosted, for sure.. I just don't know how much demand warrants what 'ratio'.

I'd personally like to see symmetry -- But, not at the cost of drastically reduced download caps.

IE: I wouldn't want to lose my 10/1 to 5/5. (Some would though). I'd sacrifice a certain percentage of my download bandwidth for upstream though. Maybe 8/2, and so on.

It would be nice to have a dynamic pool.. Where you could have X amount of bandwidth.. say,.. Ok for 69$ we give you 20Mbps -- You can run 19/1 if you want, or 10/10 -- It doesn't matter. (Self configurable) -- But that's idealism, and not practical with the way things really work.

Lastly,.. Dave... You know the US is known for the show off of the 'I've got the Biggest' type of personality. So by nature we are going to shoot for the fastest speeds and not tend to the details.. (Latency, bah.)
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Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.

Agree that 8/2 would be nicest in today's market. I had a friend who for a short time was at 8mbps down and only 256kbps up! They changed it to 512up but still that was WEIRD. I bet at least 1/2 of that upload was being used if not more when full download was happening. Too minimal. We'll see what the magic of the internet brings.

I agree if we could get more upload it would be great. i just hope it comes soon. i also wouldn't mind more download but more upload would be really good since i play games on my 360, and i like to host