subject: The Future of Communication Relies on 4G Technology [print this page] The Future of Communication Relies on 4G Technology
America has always been on the cutting edge of the newest technologies. That's why it's no surprise that 4G networks, which offer the fastest wireless internet connections available, are rolling out all over the country. Although it seems like just yesterday that 3G networks were all the rage, internet related technologies have been evolving incredibly rapidly over the past five years, so a newer and better internet connection was bound to come along soon. This new form of internet is so great that it's three times faster than it's predecessor. With such fast internet connections, the number of things people will be able to do over the internet will evolve quickly, and it's really impossible to understand just how far this new technology will take society.
As previous forms of internet technology took hole in the United States, other forms of related-technology rapidly evolved to keep up with the increased capabilities that internet connections could provide. For instance, when dial-up internet connections were the standard, no one would have even thought about trying to stream videos or download music online because it simply took way too long and way too much bandwidth to accomplish those tasks. Yet as wireless internet has become more and more available, people have been able to do more and more things over the internet that previously seemed impossible. A few years ago, no one could have predicted that people would soon be using their cellphones to connect to wireless internet signals. Yet this fairly new technological improvement makes it possible for people to send much more information to each other, much more quickly, than they could in the past. Instead of simply sending text messages, people are using their smartphones these days to send emails to each other, and to update their facebook and twitter statuses instantly.
New forms of communication have clearly evolved simultaneously as wireless internet has become faster and more readily available. Twitter and Facebook have really taken off because they provide incredibly speedy ways to communicate with people as well. Yet as faster connections become available, the question remains as to how people's communication patterns and behaviors will shift. One thing that is clear, is that many smartphone users are now using their cellphone plans less for talking and more for internet access. This trend is so great that it has even become threatening for cellphone makers because they worry that they will not be able to make money as their customers make fewer calls. Some cellphone carriers have tried to ban VoIP programs like Skype, from being used on their phones because those programs make it completely free for users to communicate with one another. Whether 4G will lead users to start communicating regularly through videocalls is open to debate, but one thing is for sure. The future of communication patterns among Americans is unclear because as fast internet connections become more widespread across the nation, it's likely that a new form of communication that is faster and better will become popular as well.
