“Super workers” in robotic suits. Reverse aging. Digital pills. And yes, even flying cars. It is possible that we will see all of these things in our future, at least according to Adam Zuckerman. Zuckerman is a futurist who makes predictions based on current trends in technology and he spoke about his work at Fiber Connect 2019 in Orlando, Florida. As our society becomes increasingly connected and increasingly digital, he said, broadband is the foundation for advancing technology and society.
Zuckerman claimed we are entering the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” in which we will see transformational changes in cyber, physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), and our networks. But one thing remains constant: the future of everything will be powered by data and information.
In 2011 and 2012 alone, more data was created than in the history of the world prior. Furthermore, ninety percent of all data in the world has been created in the last two years. These figures are astounding and point to the recent role that “big data” plays in our lives, in everything from ride sharing to health care. Transmitting and storing huge amounts of data, Zuckerman explained, we will need to consider how to support them with high-speed networks.
This huge data flow will support a host of new innovations — 5G connectivity, Smart Cities, Autonomous Vehicles, Artificial Intelligence, AR/VR gaming, brain-computer interfaces, biometric clothes, blockchain-supported applications, and many more use cases no one can yet imagine. All of this will require fiber broadband networks to support massive, instantaneous, low latency data flow.
And it has to be fiber. Alternatives like satellite, DSL, or copper fail to provide the reliability and speed needed for next-generation applications and 5G. Now is the time for communities and cities to lay the foundation to support these future use cases. Build once, build right, and build for the future. As Zuckerman shared, there is no connected future without broadband as its backbone.