Many technological advancements have been made in recent years, but the most staggering transformation has been the progress of broadband. Internet accessibility and capability has grown rapidly in the past decade. It was only 10 years ago that dial-up connections were considered the norm in most UK homes. Now, high-speed broadband is available throughout most of the country and 3G data signal coverage can be found in even the most remote places. Still, the future is bright for this technology, and even bigger advances are anticipated in the years to come.
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Internet On The Move
3G data signals are available throughout most of the country. This means that people can access the Internet while on the move, using mobile devices or laptops. 3G can be accessed via a user’s chosen network provider. This may be as part of their phone package, or through the use of a dongle. Openzones are also available, and these are typically found in busy locations, such as city centres. These are faster hotspots that anyone can connect to, regardless of the network operator they are with, but at a price.
However, it is expected that the UK will soon follow in the footsteps of the US and begin rolling out 4G. It is much faster than the old networks, and can offer greater downloading speeds. Telecoms regulator OFCOM have announced that when a new 4G network is unveiled, it will strive to cover rural areas that now have no coverage at all. This will give all users, wherever they may be, speedy mobile access to the Internet at all times.
Broadband At Home
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are fighting to offer the fastest broadband speeds possible to their customers. Cable and ASDL modems were once the fastest way to access the Internet, but they are now being replaced by much faster fibre optic broadband. These flexibles fibres can carry much greater rates of data at faster speeds across long distances. 1Mb broadband speeds were once premium packages but now some ISPs are able to offer up to 100Mb speed with fibre optics.
Google Fibre
Google Fibre is being hailed as the future of the Internet. Although still in experimental stages in the US, Google intends to use fibre optic cables to their full potential and get speeds of up to 1GB per second. This is more than 100 times faster than the average Internet connection. Google are also planning to integrate these speeds into television boxes, so that customers can receive instant streaming of channels, via the Internet, to their televisions.