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Broadband Access
Networks Race to Catch Web 2.0
'Web 2.0 Is Not Bubble 2.0,' Says Orange
by Iain Morris
Telecom networks are struggling to keep pace with the
development of Web 2.0 services.
That was one conclusion reached by a panel comprising
representatives from ECI Telecom, Accenture, BT, Microsoft TV
and Orange at the Broadband World Forum in Paris yesterday.
Panelists were responding to accusations that operators
continue to focus on the deployment of ‘asymmetric’ networks
when, increasingly, Web-based applications are becoming a
two-way phenomenon.
But we are on the cusp of a sea change, according to an
Orange spokesperson. “When we talk about the rollout of
fibre to the home, we are providing in the future for
symmetric traffic,” he said.
Both BT and Orange were bullish about the opportunities
afforded by the development of Web 2.0 and the underlying
technology, often referred to as Internet 2.0. In his
presentation on the issues for a network operator, Jean Marc
Frangos, senior vice president of technology and innovation at
BT, said that BT was preparing for the challenges of Web 2.0
by rolling out its 21st Century Network, an all-IP architecture
which he described as ‘beyond Internet 2.0.’
Frangos went on to explain that BT was stepping up to those
challenges in other ways, providing an end-to-end system
for the hundreds of Web 2.0 application developers that are
starting to appear, many of whom lack the resources for
billing, authentication and 24/7 support.
He also said that Web 2.0 was unlikely to lead to a second
dotcom crash because it enabled more ‘frugal’
entrepreneurship. “People are developing Web-based
applications for thousands of dollars, instead of 3 or
4 million dollars [US], and so they do not need to raise big amounts of
cash from VCs,” he said.
That assessment was echoed by Orange. “Web 2.0 is not
Bubble 2.0,” opened the operator’s presentation.
As well as seeking to overcome the bandwidth hurdle,
operators are casting around for new revenue streams from
the provision of Web 2.0. While revenue from ‘push’
advertising is widely recognised as a key attraction, Orange
noted that a ‘wider catalogue of legitimate content’, both free
and revenue-generating, and a "lightweight pay-per-use
infrastructure as an alternative to advertising-based business
models" are important elements missing from Web 2.0 at the
present time.
In her presentation on the intersection between Web 2.0 and
IPTV, Christine Heckart, general manager of marketing at
Microsoft TV, said that other revenue would accrue from the
new communication channels resulting from Web 2.0.
“If I want to share some great music with someone I can do
that by sending a recommendation to them,” she said. “That
will help to facilitate more sales of content.”
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