This guest article was written by Sam Melton, who blogs at sammeltontalks.blogspot.com. Please feel free to reach out to Sam with any questions.
In the United States Internet speeds are becoming faster and faster with the help of new Internet options that are popping up. From Google Fiber to gigabit Ethernet, the common Internet user now has incredible speed right at their fingertips – and it’s changing how we view and use the Internet.
With the advances in technology, we are quickly moving toward gigabit fiber networks – that’s 100xs of times faster than cable Internet could ever be.
This has the possibility to drastically change and alter how we interact with each other and perform our everyday duties. These extremely fast speeds will be available in more and more cities – and most likely the standards Internet speed will be above 100Mbps in the next ten years.
Our rampant consumerism is changing how we look up information. How we transfer files. How we communicate with each other.
With home Internet speeds reaching upward of 100Mbps, many people are realizing that the newer, faster speeds can be used to bypass big companies that we rely on for storage and just file storage and downloads. With this realization comes a basic question: With all those files stored on our own systems, what is keeping us from sharing our videos and programs with the people around us?
Many people are already spending massive amounts of time on the Internet; whether it is for work, staying in contact, or purely for pleasure. The Internet has become such a large part of our lives that rarely do you see a group of people where at least one person, if not the majority, are connected to the Internet via a device.
With even faster speeds, more and more people become reliant on the Internet for everyday actions. With this comes even less social interaction and soon everyone is communicating strictly through electronics – which means that face-to-face interactions could very well be in a steady decline.
Not all are convinced though that the Internet is ready for such high speeds.
Getting faster in more places
Currently AT&T is launching fiber Internet in Austin. Google Fiber has a home in Kansas City and soon Provo, Utah. Verizon FiOS Internet remains the “fastest nationwide broadband service.”
Being able to stream multiple HD videos, having hundreds of windows open, and having dozens of devices doing all of these things at once is certainly convenient – but is it necessary for the everyday Internet user?
Getting work done faster, having multiple videos streaming, and using Internet heavy programs are all things that theoretically everyone would love – but no one wants to pay for a super expensive plan, no matter how fast it is.
But fiber is different. It’s super-fast and also affordable. That’s how it’s changing the way we use the Internet. For companies, it’s giving employees a 100% reliable way to get online – which makes businesses more productive in less time. At home, it’s making households run smoother, allowing multiple people and devices to be online at the same time, getting the same fast speeds – guaranteed.
If you haven't already, please take our Reader Survey! Just 3 questions to help us better understand who is reading Telecom Ramblings so we can serve you better!
Categories: FTTH · Internet Traffic · Other Posts
Any idea what applications can do with gigabit speeds?
? everything currently doing faster
? GB capacity = more applications doing everything currently doing faster
There’s a difference between making things go faster and capping out the speeds. Netflix/YouTube not buffering is one thing. Being able to use motion sensors like the Kinect and Wii technology to monitor movements is another.
“Everything currently faster” is like putting an Indy Car engine into a Ford Focus. Its just not practical. We need to design to gigabit speeds, not make yesterdays technology faster!
Here are a couple of great potential apps that can take full advantage of gigabit Internet: http://www.infoworld.com/slideshow/108277/fast-and-furious-7-apps-primed-the-gigabit-internet-221729