Here's a little link to some of Ben Verwaayen's comments regarding the UK
compared to Japan broadband wise:

http://www.silicon.com/networks/broa...9118758,00.htm

See apparently 'liquid bandwidth' is where it's at. Fact Japan's takeup is
far higher and their incumbent telco can find time to install remote DSLAMs,
fibre to home, 26Mbit and higher vDSL is irrelevant. 'Liquid bandwidth' and
2Mbit is all you need. Ignoring what industry observers etc recommend, 8Mbit
for HDTV and other applications. 2Mbit is where it's at, and looks as though
that's all the UK will see from BT for some time.

Until 2006 when they've finished rolling out 'not very broadband' to every
city, town, village, hamlet, barn, public toilet in the UK, by which time
I think 512k won't just be obsolete (which it is now) but laughable.

Great plan Ben, am sure the Japanese economy enhanced by true broadband will
be enjoying the benefits while the UK Government bemoans losing billions
a year because the incumbent telco wanted to protect legacy revenues.