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2012 Olympics to Strain Broadband Networks – Virgin to Provide Free Wi-Fi During London Olympics

The 2012 London Olympics could place a major strain on the existing broadband infrastructure, says the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA). James Blessing, ISPA’s treasurer, said of the London Olympics “There is the potential for a massive hit on the infrastructure.” Sports fans clamoring for their favorite feed will have 24 high definition streams to choose from, says the BBC. To ease the strain, Virgin Media has won the contract to provide free Wi-Fi to subway commuters during the Olympics.

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1.2 Billion Active Mobile Broadband Users – Europe Leads World in Broadband Penetration – December 2011 Bandwidth Report

By the end of 2011, there were over 1.2 billion active users of mobile broadband devices, according to a recent survey. 90% of the world’s population had access to 2G broadband, while 45% of the world had 3G coverage, according to the ITU. Europe leads the world in broadband penetration with fixed and mobile broadband penetration reaching 26% and 54% respectively. The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark lead all countries surveyed in fixed broadband penetration.

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Rural States Go Wireless – US Wireless Broadband Penetration Study, October 2011 Bandwidth Report

Despite the Obama administration’s promise of “universal access” to broadband in the US, rural areas have been left behind in wired broadband availability. To close this “broadband gap” low-population-density rural areas are adopting wireless broadband faster than urban areas, according to a recent study by Georgetown University (Macher & Mayo 2011). Will spectrum supply keep up with demand?

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