Just Google It!

It is thought that around 40% of small firms in Wales have no website. On average, only 39% of companies in the UK have access to sell goods and services online. 


At a free conference in Cardiff this week, Dan Cobley, Google UK Managing Director, addressed almost 400 delegates as he launched a new initiative designed to highlight the importance of the internet to Welsh businesses. Business Minister Edwina Hart said the Welsh government was working with the internet company to help small businesses "access new markets". 


Google UK plans to train digital agencies across Wales to deliver training and workshops once the initial three month campaign has ended. Its travelling "Juice Bar" will offer free one-on-one digital health checks and workshops, tutorials and hands-on advice to small business owners, including how to acquire a web presence or improve the one they already have. 


The Cardiff event will be followed by others in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham.  


Other partners involved include the Institute of Directors in Wales and South Wales Chamber of Commerce.


Ask Adodo if you are interested in help building or improving your website. We can also help you with social media management and building mobile applications, remember, just ask adodo!

ISPs to take the digital economy act to court!

BT and Talk Talk are joining forces to take on the Digital Economy Act in the High Court.

Both organisations feel that the Act was “rushed through” parliament in the run up to the General Election. They are seeking a judicial review to clarify the legality of the act before it is implemented. The two internet providers think that the act had "insufficient scrutiny" and question whether its proposals to curb illegal file-sharing harm "basic rights and freedoms".

This is an argument that is at the forefront of the opinion held by the Lib Dem arm of the coalition government, as they too argued have the act repealed in the run up to the election.


Among the Acts most controversial measures are proposals to disconnect persistent illegal file-sharers from the web and give copyright holders the power to block access to websites hosting illegal content.


Regulator Ofcom, are currently drawing up detailed plans of how the legislation will work, and has recently said that plans to remove peoples' internet connections would not come into force until at least 2012.


As the code of practice suggests that this only affects larger ISPs with over 400,000 users, there is an argument that it puts them at a disadvantage. The larger ISPs feel that their users will opt for smaller suppliers in order to avoid detection.

TalkTalk and BT are particularly interested in seeking clarity as to whether the act conflicts with EU legislation. The legislation states that ISPs are "mere conduits" of content and should not be held responsible for the traffic on their networks.

The ISPs are outraged that they are being forced to protect the creative industries old business models, instead of the industries being encouraged to find new ways of distributing their products online.

As a broadband user – what do you think of the digital economy act? Is the internet a basic human right or a luxury that we should treat with care?

Does the Digital Economy Act stand a chance?

In Finland, 96% of its 5.3million citizens are now connected to the internet. In a law passed in October and brought into force last week, their citizens now have the legal right to broadband access.



There is a stark difference between Finland and the UK. Our Nordic friends are treating broadband as essential to its infrastructure, whereas here in the UK, the highly contentious Digital Economy Act offers the potential for structures where people could, in theory, be cut off if they are judged to have broken copyright law.


The Lib Dem arm of today’s coalition government is taking steps to have the Act repealed, and it will be very interesting if they manage it. They are in favour of most of the act but are completely opposed to the parts that relate to the blocking of people's internet connections.


Under the law in Finland, telecomms providers are obliged to offer always-on high-speed internet connections to all citizens, with a minimum speed of at least 1 megabit per second. In the UK, the government is aiming at 2Mbps for 99% of the population by 2012 - but there's no law to back it.


We are now ranked 33rd in the world when it comes to broadband speed, with an average that is nearly five times slower than South Korea. Reminiscent of the 2010 World Cup then!

If the Liberal Democrats manage to get the act repealed they have stated that they will “"take it off the statue book replace it with something better”. Do you have any suggestions for them?

10 years of Broadband!

2008

Virgin launch 50Mb product

Europe passes US in WiFi use
Bebo acquired by AOL for $850 million

 2009
UK Broadband penetration is 14th highest worldwide
50% of UK households now connected to broadband
One in seven 18-24 year olds now watch no live TV at all, choosing to watch video via the web
2010
Adodo join the Social Networking phenomenon, you can now find us on Linked In, Twitter, YouTube and Blogger.com
By the end of this year, it is thought that mobile broadband will take over from wired broadband.
Adodo now offer competitively priced Broadband options including ADSL, ADSL2, SDSL, Ethernet First Mile better known as EFM and Leased line depending on your business needs.
For the future....watch this space.


See the last ten years of broadband here.

Broadband meets Politics

In a recent speech Gordon Brown has announced that Labour intends to give every home in the UK access to super-fast broadband; Calling high-speed web access "the electricity of the digital age" which "must be for all - not just for some".

The Conservatives say they have made a similar pledge and have attacked a £6-a-year landline levy planned by Labour.

The PM also said Labour planned £30m of funding for a new Institute of Web Science, to be based in Britain and jointly headed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web.

In his speech, Mr Brown set out his plans to make Britain "the world leader in the digital economy" by 2020 - although there was no date set to provide the faster broadband for all homes.

Superfast broadband is generally regarded as speeds of 50Mbps (megabits per second) or above, but recent research suggests the majority of UK users currently get between 3Mbps and 4.5Mbps. (See below here)

The government is planning a 50p-a-month levy on landlines to prevent rural areas missing out on a fast network.