What will fiber optics and more bandwidth really enable us to do?

Question

Aside from faster downloads, reliable voip and video conferencing, is there something revolutionary on the way? How will it make my life better as a consumer?

Answer 1

I look at it a little differently.

Communications infrastructure is important to any countries economy. In the US and Canada the infrastructure currently installed was put up in the 40s and 50s. Most of the wired communication technologies were developed in order to make use of that 50 year old copper wire. DSL as example.

Other countries (South Korea, China and India) are leap frogging the US when it comes to communications infrastructure.

In most other countries the communications systems are nationalized, unlike the US where it's privately owned. For a telecoms vendor like Verizon to install an upgraded infrastructure they need a business incentive, it costs them huge money to install/maintain fiber optic runs to the consumer. It came via data over cable. The telecoms companies are terrified that the Comcast's and Time/Warner's of the world are going to make them irrelevant.

What you will find is that the traditional telecoms will now have the bandwidth to offer non-traditional services - such as TV programing in the near future if it isn't already available to you. Like the cell phone wars, they want you to switch TV providers. Probably be cheaper than cable, higher data bandwidth, cheaper telephone service, more HD offerings than cable. Because voice service will be on IP, you'll probably see no or little charge international calling, no charge long distance in the US/Canada. Video calling features...lots of stuff you can't do over copper twisted pair today. The cable companies can do much of that today, the baby bells can't. Have you ever seen a real VoIP system working, it's got some pretty cool features that today's phone systems can't do. Tight integration between outlook and your voice mail, tight integration between IM and voice..... What that means to you is the same or better services that you already pay for at a lower price, probably through one company. Currently my data, voice and TV come from Comcast. I know Verizon wants part of my paycheck again.

As soon as the bandwidth is ubiquitous, smart people will figure out even newer and cooler things to do with it. The problem now is that high speed network access is a relatively new phenomena. The good thing about fiber optics is that we don't currently know of any better wired medium. Once installed it should be good for awhile.

Bottom line, the baby bells are losing customers right and left to cable companies. They are putting in fiber to try and win them back.

Answer 2

Fiber Optics will be much higher speed than DSL. That has to be a mistake, there is no way the bandwidth is the same, otherwise what's the point in the Fiber Optic line?

Answer 3

Fiber optic connections allow for much higher bandwidth, which in turn allows for faster downloads. The higher bandwidth allows for faster than real-time download of movies. Computer technology is slowly drifting away from processor power and more towards graphical appearance. High-bandwidth connections will allow the consumer to participate in detailed world simulation games such as Second Life.

Basically, high-bandwidth connection enable consumers to have a quicker internet connection which allows for near real-time communication between people. MMO games use a lot of bandwidth and will only continue to use more as they become more detailed.

Answer 4

Well... with faster downloads comes a whole slew of other content that will be available for use.

Streaming HD video is just one of the many benefits.

Distributed computing is another benefit. There are many powerful computers out there, but they are not powerful enough to process some of the information out there in a timely fashion. (Such as the Human Genome Project)

Distributing data to be processed by thousands of computers instead of just one makes for quicker conclusions. This is already in effect, but the ability to send and recieve more data will increase the effectiveness of this project.

There are many other things that will come with the ability to transfer more data over the web, but we won't know all of them until the ability is available to the masses.

Answer 5

I have had fiber optics cable high speed, for almost 2 years, and you would not beleive the difference. I can click a link, and by the time I look at my screen, it is already there. Besides the speed, and security, there really isn't that much difference. But I love it..Oh yeah, I pay $50.00 a month, but I use 2 computers..

Answer 6

FIBER OPTICS has greater bandwidth capability than that of copper wires
fiber optics at a time can carry out around 100,00,000 lakh of cable channels hassle free thats 1CRORE which is not possible in copper cables where they r restricted to 10000

thus helps in greater speed of conversion
speed equal to that of light

Answer 7

Work from home, reduce traffic congestion, increase sharing of valuable information (such as medical files), consolidate all home communications on a wicked fast transmission media. (remember that the regular phone service is based on technology over 100 years old)

Movies truly on demand...
Home video sharing in real time
virtually instant reseverations for travel
lots more... but that's a quick skim...

Answer 8

Live TV is real close to becoming a reality on the net. It may even become reality to pay for only the channels you want! No BS funkyass half dozen others you dont watch just to get the one! Freedom at last!

Answer 9

actually, it has little to do w/ doing things faster, it just enables more people to do it.

mathematics dictates that you sitting on your prem are alwasy going to be bottlenecked by your Broadband provider first, then your PC. so the difference between a 1gig connection and a 10gig connection for your local Metro is that you can add up to 9x (no not a 10x) the number of people in that region..based upon the fact that your broadband provider keeps you throttled at ~10mbs downstream etc..

it enables more people, not enables the current set of people to "do it faster"

Answer 10

You can do the same things you do now, just much much faster.