Victory VDSL
Vic Keegan (Second sight, April 4) knows I agree with him about cutting the losses of failed infrastructure competition and giving BT its head with ADSL and VDSL. But even he misses the real point.
I was the last public sector managing director of BT's inland operations. When privatisation struck in 1984, we had virtually completed modernisation of inter-exchange transmission; we were half way through modernisation of exchanges; and we were just beginning to turn to modernisation of the obsolete copper distribution network. This was already overdue then, but nearly 20 years later it has still not been carried through.
As a result, putting in DSL systems is a bit like Russian roulette. I hear increasingly good reports of the new people at the top in BT. Can we start a campaign in Online to bring to their attention the vital issue of local line renewal, using 21st-Century technology?
The cable companies have already done the job for them across half the country: the way things are going, BT should be able to pick up their networks for next to nothing in a fire sale in a few weeks, if only DTI and Oftel could get their obsession with local infrastructure competition out of their heads.
John Harper
berry@pavilion.co.uk
Spare change
Victor Keegan should spare a thought for those outside the big city and beyond the serious notice of BT. I'm desperate for ADSL and have twice in the past few months suffered the inefficient attentions of BT broadband salespeople, who assure me I am in range, raise my hopes and sign me up. A week later I get a curt email telling me that "on investigation it would appear that your distance from exchange far exceeds the recommended distance." You dream of VDSL, Victor. I'd settle for boring old ADSL anytime.
Suzie Hayman
suzie@agony-aunt.com
Bodle's well
I sympathise with Andy Bodle (Doom with a view, April 4) and his struggle with game addiction. For you see, my name's Alistair and I'm a gameaholic. My case is even sadder than Andy's. I'm only addicted to one game - Half Life. I've spent hours beyond counting searching out crowbar, 9mm pistol and HEV suit and pretended to listen to my wife talk about some trivial domestic matter while mentally working out how to frag an entrenched group of Grunts. Sadder still, my son who introduced me to it has moved on to what he claims are bigger and better games - but what does he know? He's only 12 and I'm 47.
So Andy, just take it one day at a time, that's what I'm doing - at least, that is, until Half Life 2 comes out.
Alistair Richardson
admin@elsalewis.co.uk
Warning signs
Surely the caveat to Andy Bodle's "Videogames turn us into sociopaths with no mates" should be "... if you play Might and Magic VI". I mean, really. We warn people about these things.
Kieron Gillen
Deputy editor, PC Gamer
kieron.gillen@futurenet.co.uk
Seeing as Andy Bodle won't be needing the pile of games he has accumulated, can I have them?
Dan Boddington (aged 31)
dboddington@hotmail.com
Postcards
Is it me, or does anyone else find it absurd that Online's Adobe Photoshop competition (April 4) requires entrants to send in answers on a postcard and has no provision for email entry?
Paul Astles
astles@btinternet.com
Digital delay
Ashley Norris's article suggesting that the downfall of ITV Digital might after all be the saving of digital TV was most welcome (Online, April 4).
People seem to have been brainwashed into believing that they can receive digital TV only by paying a monthly subscription, on top of their licence fee to one large corporation or another. However, Norris did not mention the major advantage of digital reception - better sound and picture quality. This will be enough to persuade people to fork out £100 or so for a box.
But being able to benefit form this depends on coverage. Rather than subsidising set-top boxes, the government should be supporting an urgent project to improve the digital broadcast signal strength and coverage. And it is difficult to get impartial advice on the best kind of aerial for terrestrial digital reception. One of the many reasons for ITV Digital's demise was its reliance on subscribers being able to use their existing analogue aerial - a large number found they couldn't and gave up.
Alistair Kilgour
alistair@realaxis.co.uk
