While I find the idea of a carrier pigeon being faster than broadband attractive and very credible when it comes to trying to surf the web at lunchtime when everybody else in the building is doing the same, something doesn’t quite add up.
According to the news story the pigeon flew the 60 miles between two sites in 68 minutes. This is very nearly 60mph (well more like 53mph). Meanwhile Wikipedia says the average speed of homing pigeons over moderate distances is about 30mph. (OK – there is no citation for that). A few years ago a pigeon-fancier in Wales won £30,000 when his bird won a race, flying at an average of 41mph so Winston was really doing well to fly more than 25% faster than a bird that won a prize like that!
Maybe the birds can go faster over shorter distances, but even so 53mph sounds pretty bloody impressive, and a little suspicious… has it been tested for performance-enhancing drugs?
Meanwhile, our cats have asked me to ditch Virgin Media broadband and buy a crate of pigeons, but I think they may have an ulterior motive.
Perhaps it’s an intersexual pigeon?