That means for the first time since the creation of the PC we are seeing the power of the desktop, portable or handheld device approach that of the largest supercomputers globally. Until now the net power advantage was largely theoretical because too slow for anything other than web pages and a few downloads. Broadband is a real threat to cable companies. Cable companies have been terribly slow to offer broadband and will now suffer. Computer speed doubles every 18 months which we think is fast but broadband means up to a 40-fold jump in phone capacity after an engineer visit of less than two hours .
All net calls are free.
For an astonishingly low monthly flat rate I am permanently connected at ten times normal speed. NO more world wide wait the net is now blisteringly fast. Downloads that took over an hour, with many broken connections, now take just a few seconds. Two years ago a leased line would have cost me thousands a year but BT Openworld costs little more than a couple of CDs a month. Most people will struggle to use even a fraction of the mega-power that BT Openworld offers, but could get back all their money and more on phone call savings, and time savings if they use the net a lot.