Imagine waking up tomorrow and your Internet connection reverted back to the year 2004, when average download speeds were in the single digits. Remember that? No doubt that you would be frustrated waiting 10 minutes or more for a video to download. And the near-total lack of live video streaming would not only provide few options but a frustrating and jittery experience.
This lookback demonstrates how broadband speeds – and Internet experiences – have increased tremendously and rapidly. As the graphic below indicates, advances in network technology over the past decade have not only accelerated broadband speed and quality, but given us more for what we pay for. While you may have paid more for a slower connection in 2004, today you get much more for a lesser price.
What has been the result? Faster Internet connections have led to a digital-centric media landscape and the rise of video streaming that we all love and take for granted. Cable’s Internet service providers have led this broadband speed revolution by pushing top tiers well above 100 Mpbs across much of the country. With these fast networks and millions of connected devices, our lives have become more productive, convenient and entertaining.
We won’t even try to predict what the next ten years will look like. But if history is our guide, it will definitely be worth paying attention to.