COMMUNICASIA, SINGAPORE--Even as wireless broadband gains momentum, industry players agree that the old copper line will not go away, at least in developed markets.
Robert Healey, director of hardware products group at Juniper Networks Asia-Pacific, said copper lines will still be the dominant infrastructure for fixed-line broadband. He was speaking at a panel discussion on the impact of wireless broadband technologies during CommunicAsia held here.
Indeed, fixed-line broadband services such as ADSL (asynchronous digital subscriber line) still have room to grow in the region. In the Philippines, for example, 98 percent of the country's 35 million broadband users are prepaid subscribers, according to Don Rae, chief operations advisor of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).
Rae said the affordability of broadband services is still an issue in developing countries, adding that most Filipinos consume broadband services in time blocks. If the price of ADSL modems can decline further, it would help spur the uptake of monthly broadband subscriptions, he noted.
Nick Hutton, chief executive officer of Alcatel Asia Pacific, agreed that ADSL still has a future in Asia. He noted, however, that service providers should not focus on access technologies but pay attention to the kinds of services offered through their broadband pipes.
Echoing this view was a delegate from British Telecom. "Broadband is big, and will continue to be big. We've got fiber, copper, 2G and 3G, and many ways to get to the customer," he said. "Ultimately, it should be the applications that improve the quality of life for customers."
Rae noted that service providers should be flexible in offering a wide range of broadband applications, such as Net telephony and IPTV (Internet Protocol TV), on multiple access technologies. 3G (Third-Generation) cellular networks, HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access), ADSL and WiMax are just ways for operators to hedge their bets on different technologies, he added.
However, Greg Caltabiano, chief operating officer of Soma Networks, a wireless broadband equipment vendor, noted that copper lines will co-exist with wireless broadband, but only in countries with established infrastructure.
"Copper wires are relatively dead in developing countries," he said, noting that it's just too costly to dig up roads and lay new copper lines. Wireless broadband would be more appropriate in extending broadband access to rural areas, he added.
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