The State of Fiber: Six Key Trends Defining the Future of Telecom Infrastructure
October 15, 2014
Source: WIRED.com Blog
Why do I live in a major metro area yet my broadband service is still from the dial-up age? Why is my Internet connection slow and unreliable? Why am I at the mercy of only one or two service providers in my area? Why does my phone bill seem to get more expensive every month, yet my data runs out and my service provider continues to charge me more money? Why does it feel like my service is lagging and hasn't improved in ages?
Chances are, if you're like one of the millions of Americans who are asking themselves questions like these on a daily basis, you haven't received many answers. That's because, no other industry has undergone the transformation that telecommunications has experienced over the past few years, and very few can explain it in terms that can actually be understood.
Advancements in technology, adoption of social media, and historic economic growth through investment in and the development of networks have changed the entire dynamic in the telecommunications sector on a global scale. Today, there is record high demand for local broadband networks. This has been evidenced through numerous reports and studies that show the health of a community (a city, state, or country) and its economy being tied directly to its access to and availability of high-speed and affordable connections to the Internet.
This demand exists as a natural force from the people and businesses in the community itself, but also from the lack of such a network existing to meet the needs. This has caused many communities themselves to attempt to build their own broadband network, but there are two primary impediments to the success of these endeavors. The first is political. The communities have been met with fierce resistance from the local incumbents that are trying to maintain their control of the local area.
The second is a physical network limitation. In order for the local network to be effective and deliver on the promise of higher speeds and lower costs it needs to have direct access to the core of the Internet and not be held hostage by an Internet Access Provider.
