Depending on where one is in the world, connectivity can be enjoyed at home in varying speeds and prices. Price, speed, allowance. These are all things to consider when taking out a broadband service, the age of dial-up has long departed and the always connected approach is something that has benefited society greatly. I can still remember being kicked off the web and sighing in anticipation of the phone that was about to ring. Downloading a simple audio file would take an age, let alone any videos that were mostly 480p or less. It really was a different time and we have seen speeds only ascend over the last few decades. Having enjoyed the Fibre Optics Broadband for a number of years, there is no looking back but I am keeping my eyes out for gigabit connections that are starting to see introduction across different countries.
1 Gigabit per second is no slouch and some providers are starting to provide asymmetrical connections. I have typically observed upstream speeds to be around just 30% of the downstream capacity. It’s been a little frustrating but the possibility of being able to download and upload at speeds well beyond 500Mb is slightly exciting. For a single person this is probably going to be overkill but where technology is moving towards streaming, gaming and other media over the net in higher resolutions, data connections will need to keep up. For most, internet simply just works. There is a price they wish to pay for a service and making it go a little (or much) faster is not a big issue. Statistics have shown a general lack of awareness of capability and advantages of higher speeds across the States. As the connected home and services becomes the norm in households, it is important that the right information is given to the population in a concise manner that isn’t all about driving sales. I sometimes lose track to the devices connected in my own household and networking knowledge isn’t something that everyone possesses.
Lockdown has no doubt brought about a wave of awareness around how well a home is connected. For those who have started to experience working from home, frustration at sluggish speeds or overload due to multiple users is something that places attention on service and value. Staying connected is important in these difficult times and many will want to remain efficient as they strive to stay employed and deliver work. Companies such as Comcast have realised a surge in higher priced packages as the demand for high speed internet is at a high. However, spending on services are also shifting as people place reliance on net connection capability over TV subscriptions, resulting in loss. Online streaming services make life convenient through additional choice and flexible viewing. In difficult times, spending heads to value purchases that are deemed essential, technology and internet connectivity are part of this basket in this case. With less money being spent on luxuries, commuting and other absent activities, it’s interesting to see the population turn towards strengthening home connectivity and a post pandemic approach will reveal whether this focus on internet spending will remain. It may be the perfect opportunity to start introducing gigabit lines as they are currently scarce in most parts.
https://www.ft.com/content/ad2ab5ca-1d2b-46f4-aff5-b3a7f1e18f24
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