Many people take the physical aspects of the internet for granted. Some would believe it’s purely non-physical, like some sort of digital magic. While this may appear to be true, the internet is a physical entity that snakes its way through our walls and in vast cable networks beneath streets, railways, and oceans. As technology advances, we need to acknowledge the physical limitations of our current digital infrastructure and consider the steps necessary to continue meeting the demands we place on the internet. Here are some major trends within our digital infrastructure as well as a look at what the future will bring.
View this complete post...Posts Tagged ‘Internet’
Three Trends That Will Shape the Future of Our Digital Infrastructure
Tuesday, January 30th, 2018Signs of Digital Distress: Mapping Broadband Availability and Subscription in America
Monday, September 18th, 2017BROOKINGS INSTITUTION METROPOLITAN POLICY PROGRAM Executive Summary The internet is now a fundamental component of the American economy, creating new ways to educate, employ, bring services to, and entertain every person. Broadband, especially wireline broadband in American homes, is the essential infrastructure for unlocking the internet’s economic benefits. However, broadband infrastructure is far from ubiquitous, […]
View this complete post...Communications Infrastructure Upgrade: The Need for Deep Fiber
Thursday, July 13th, 2017Unlocking the full potential of 5G in the United States rests on a key assumption: the extension of fiber deep into the network. Despite the demand and potential economic benefits of fiber deployment, the United States lacks the fiber density in access networks to make the bandwidth advancements necessary to improve the pace of innovation and economic growth. Increased speed and capacity from 5G will rely on higher frequencies and network densification. Carriers will deploy many more small cells, homespots, and hotspots in higher bands, with a coverage radius measured in meters versus kilometers. Without more deep fiber, carriers will be unable to support the projected four-fold increase in mobile data traffic between 2016 and 2021.
View this complete post...Successful Strategies for Broadband Public-Private Partnerships
Thursday, August 4th, 2016…most Americans continue to only have one option for high-speed Internet access, according to the Federal Communications Commission, often a cable network with limited upload speeds. Smart cities are realizing they need to act or risk being left behind. However, many do not want to embrace the purely municipal model, where the city would engage in direct competition with existing providers…One way for those communities to move forward is with a public-private partnership (PPP). But for all the excitement around this model, there are few concrete examples from which to draw lessons.
View this complete post...Connecting North Carolina: State Broadband Plan
Tuesday, June 28th, 2016BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICE
…broadband’s benefits are not evenly dispersed and a digital divide, or “a gulf between those who have ready access to the internet and computers,” and those that don’t, is growing. Many communities, typically in sparsely populated or economically-distressed areas lack access to infrastructure or affordable service. Additionally, broadband adoption—the proportion of citizens subscribing to internet service—is low in NC given the rate of broadband availability in the state and contributes to the widening digital divide. This divide, new technologies, user demand, and greater reliance on internet access, necessitates ongoing infrastructure upgrades within our state.
Broadband Adoption Rates and Gaps in U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Thursday, December 10th, 2015BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
METROPOLITAN POLICY PROGRAM
There is no question that the Internet is a huge boon to the economy and society, but maximizing its potential is only possible if all individuals are online. As a result, it is critical that policymakers closely track broadband adoption rates: the share of households with a DSL, cable, fiber optic, mobile broadband, satellite, or fixed wireless subscription.
InterTubes: A Study of the US Long-haul Fiber-optic Infrastructure
Friday, September 25th, 2015ASSOCIATION FOR COMPUTING MACHINERY
The complexity and enormous costs of installing new long-haul fiber-optic infrastructure has led to a significant amount of infrastructure sharing in previously installed conduits. In this paper, we study the characteristics and implications of infrastructure sharing by analyzing the long-haul fiber-optic network in the US.
Communications Infrastructure: Enabling the Clean Energy Economy
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2015Infographic: The Carbon Footprint of the Internet
Tuesday, April 28th, 2015With 2.5 billion people connected to the Internet worldwide, the Internet’s energy and carbon footprint are estimated to exceed air travel. From manufacturing and shipping of computers to data use—the Internet is less green than you’d think. Learn about how the Internet is impacting the environment and what you can do to lessen it’s harmful effects.
View this complete post...Net Neutrality Secures the Future of Education
Wednesday, March 11th, 2015Regulating the internet in the same manner as other public utilities is necessary to ensure the survival and practicality of online learning. Any throttling, or the creation of a ‘fast lane,’ marginalizes all content produced by those who can’t afford to buy into the fast lane, i.e. schools.
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