We here a lot these days about how the internet is going to change the way we watch TV and movies. Indeed, today, the BBC proudly announced a free internet TV service. Sounds great. But, there was this …

It could take 30 minutes to download an hour-long show.

Broadband, like pretty much everything else these days, is more hype than reality. The term gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling that we’re getting lots, like a realllllly broooooad band. And we are, compared to the pioneer days of the internet when a byte came out with labour pains.

But this isn’t your father’s internet, this is the one with all the promises. But it feels to me like riding in a horse and buggy — it will get you there, but don’t be in a hurry and forget the comfort.

What is broadband and why do, for instance, the Japanese have so much more of it than we do?

Up until recently, I was paying top buck for a ‘broadband’ connection that couldn’t play a youTube. Even now, I would never bother downloading something that requires a ratio of effort of 1:2.

We hear of all the neat new things that are happening or going to happen on the internet, yet as far as I know, it’s all supposed to come out of the same spout and that spout has been way too narrow for a couple of years now.