Why is it wireless carriers can increase speeds and expand their networks...

[techs]

Why is it wireless carriers can increase speeds and expand their networks...at a such a fast rate and ISP's seemingly can't?

 

[poofyhairguy]

Because the FCA can't manage the rights to every curb in America like they do cell frequencies. That allows for a lot of graft and corruption.

 

[JoeKing]

with wireless it's an arms race, for speed and reliability. Wireless carriers almost always have 3-5 competitors vying for the same customers in any market.

ISPs are stagnant. In most places the consumer really only have 1 maybe 2 options for an ISP. (my case for example is comcast cable or verizon DSL). There's no real motivation to ramp up the speed if the customer doesn't have a choice.


TLDR: money

 

[Zenmervolt]

Because people buy new cell phones every couple of years. When is the last time you had the phone company out to upgrade all the twisted pair phone wiring in your house?

Basically, cell companies don't have the "last mile" problem.

ZV

 

[OCGuy]

What is hard to understand about how business works? Supply/Demand/Adoption rate dictate when anything (including networks) will receive a capital investment.

Live in a low-density area with a below-average median income, and where very few are going to pay $49/mo for faster internet? Nobody is going to invest.

On the other hand, I have seen people on food stamps and welfare with Galaxy S4. Everyone has a cell-phone, so whoever does the math figured out that putting up towers was worth it.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Biggest reason is that putting cable and fiber in the ground is extremely expensive for the last mile. And there's no compelling reason to upgrade existing infrastructure in an area where there's no competition.

 

[Markbnj]

Biggest reason is that putting cable and fiber in the ground is extremely expensive for the last mile. And there's no compelling reason to upgrade existing infrastructure in an area where there's no competition.

Yeah, I really don't understand the question, techs. The constraints couldn't be more different. On the wireless side it's towers and spectrum and devices, while on the broadband ISP side it is hardwired connections to the point of presence.

That said, I am not claiming that ISPs are constrained solely, or even primarily by these issues. For example, cablecos can support a _lot_ more Internet bandwidth over existing coax infrastructure, but that service is competing with the digital video services, on demand, premium channels, etc. They want to hang onto that model, and they aren't eager to allocate more mhz to Internet so we can all go around them and get our stuff elsewhere.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Because: Taxidermy

 

[Mixolydian]

Because people buy new cell phones every couple of years. When is the last time you had the phone company out to upgrade all the twisted pair phone wiring in your house?

Basically, cell companies don't have the "last mile" problem.

ZV

Lol the phone wiring in my house wasn't twisted pair until I replaced it last year. It was the standard 2-pair (red, green, yellow, black) wiring.

 

[Destiny]

It is very logical...

In a normal house hold:

House Phone = most have 1 phone line or 1 ISP line.

Wireless Phone= every member of the house hold that are 15yrs or older has a wireless phone, + 1 or 2 if your dog and cat wants one.

http://1funny.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hello-dog.jpg

 

[norseamd]

there is a insert image button to post images onto anandtech. it looks like a mountain and sun over a yellow background. you may or may not have to go to full reply depending on your settings.

here is your image

 

[Sonikku]

Biggest reason is that putting cable and fiber in the ground is extremely expensive for the last mile.

If only the government had given subsidies to the internet providers to help get that infrastructure out and rolling across the rural and other areas.

 

[norseamd]

how good are our tier 1 internet lines?

 

[norseamd]

have a great idea

how about the government makes internet infrastructure like the highway systems. free to and supported by taxes. they could run basic backbone lines across the country