Broadband Services

Access to the Internet is an increasing problem in many areas of the world.  As the popularity and usefulness of the Internet increases on a daily basis, lack of access to the technology is putting many groups at a disadvantage in terms of better education, better jobs and even in terms of higher levels of civic participation.  However, creating a network infrastructure to serve outlying communities and sectors of the population is not straight-forward.  <p>This book brings together all the aspects of the problem – technical, regulatory and economic – into one volume to provide a comprehensive resource.  It describes the latest technological advances that allow cost-effective network infrastructures to be built, and places them in the context of the applications and services that the infrastructure will deliver.  A section on business models and case studies from North American and Europe demonstrate that the solutions are economically and practically viable.</p> <p>This book is essential for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the issues and technology surrounding the access debate.  It will be of particular relevance to network engineers/designers/planners at the incumbent operator companies charged with delivering broadband access to as yet unconnected regions.   Governments and regulatory bodies will also find this a useful guide to the problems that they may face.</p>