Are We Ready for an Internet of Things?

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The Internet of things: It’s the idea that one day the Internet will be as much a network of devices (phones, thermostats, dog collars, coffee machines, underpants, everything) as it is a network of computers today. It’s an awesome idea, but will it work? Will America’s broadband network be ready for all those devices? All that data? Many of the devices making up the Internet of things will be mobile, but most of them won’t be connected to cellular networks in the same way your smartphone is. You could connect them to your smartphone through a hotspot link. But that’s likely to wipe out your data plan, not to mention burn through your battery. Or you could hop into a Starbucks every few minutes to update your gear. But that’s not terribly practical. The solution? Wi-Fi. Fast, ubiquitous, accessible Wi-Fi. Cable’s doing its part. Over the last three years, cable has installed 250,000 Wi-Fi hotspots all across the country. For current customers they’re free and they’re already on. Some regions have near-total coverage. You can use them right now!

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So again, will America’s broadband network be ready? Yes. Yes it will. It may not be a true Internet of things yet, but when it comes, we (and you) will be ready.