Besides faster, more reliable, and lower-cost internet service, fiber will improve our lives
in a lot of ways in this world of the “Internet of Things”. Here are just a few:
● 16 years ago, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu started their TV streaming
services. Since that time their subscribers have tripled. Now add HBO+,
Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock, ESPN+, and a bunch I’m leaving out, and you
can see the growth in internet streaming demand. This growth is projected to
triple again in the next seven years. In fact, the total amount of US adults
watching digital streaming services is now more than people watching traditional
television. With our current system, our ability to get fast and reliable service will
go down as fast as their subscriber base is going up. Fiber will allow us to keep
pace with growing demand and the new services that are yet to come.
● Working from home full-time or part-time is here to stay, and so are Zoom calls,
Go-To-Meetings, and Google Classroom. Fast and more reliable internet service
will make working and learning better.
● People like to minimize the impact the Meta-Verse will have on our lives. Avatar
wardrobes and concerts sound questionable to me, but there are real-life
applications of Artificial intelligence (AI) and Web 3.0 that are being used today.
● For instance, companies are using AI to insert trainees from around the world on
complex equipment based in Germany. Students are piloting themselves on trips
through the solar system and the human body, and architects and building
contractors can walk through buildings and solve design problems without getting
their shoes dirty.
● While today many of us have had virtual doctor visits due to COVID, this will
continue to grow. With the shrinking number of primary care doctors available,
new ways to get medical care are being revealed. Using our watches, glucose
monitors, and blood pressure monitors, just to start, we’ll be able to share our
data with a medical professional, an MD, PA, NP, or even AI, (no joke). We could
have access to a worldwide array of knowledge and experience to help us stay
healthy and treat our medical challenges.
● Wilbraham’s public safety pros and other town services will have access to tools
and systems so that we will be protected and well taken care of.
It’s easy to forget that the iPhone is only 16 years old. Think about all the other
internet-connected devices that have populated our world since then. There are
thermostats, doorbells, refrigerators, tablets, smart TVs, dog collars, and even our cars
are connected. What wonders will we be using in another 16 years?
The demand for fast and reliable internet service is going to grow faster than we’ve
witnessed so far. A fiber-based internet system is needed now and will be more of a
necessity as time goes on.