This paper outlines the notion of a 'user centred' broadband system because so little attention is generally given to the demand side of the side of the broadband roll out equation. The author suggests that the Netherlands, Europe's leading county for broadband usage, has created one of the most remarkable models with its Kenniswijk experiment. Over 1000 users were invited to submit proposals for the kind of broadband services they wanted, and test beds subsequently built many of those services that were initially offered for free. What happened when users could no longer avail themselves of free services, but had the opportunity to stay on the system when users had to pay, makes good reading.
Published in 'Broadband...joining the bits', a special edition of Telecommunications Journal of Australia, Vol.56, No. 3-4, summer 2006