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Today, broadband internet is a common feature of most people’s lives, to the extent that the British Government has called it an essential household utility and has pledged that broadband access will be available for all homes in the country in the next few years. With standard broadband connections already being replaced by superfast fibre optic broadband in many parts of the UK, it can be daunting to consider how relatively recent the introduction of broadband was. A little over 10 years ago, the number of people worldwide who had access to broadband internet numbered just over four million. Today, that figure has exceeded 400 million, with broadband penetration being so high that the UK’s Office for National Statistics ceased compiling annual reports on its growth in 2009, after the figure exceeded 95 per cent of the country’s internet users, with only five per cent still using slower dial-up connections to access the internet. The rapid growth of broadband can be credited to a number of factors, including increasing supply and demand. As internet access became ever more important for companies, a fast and reliable broadband connection became all but essential for allowing them to keep up in the dynamic online world, while the increasing complexity of web content, including videos and multiplayer video games, meant that older internet connections were no longer capable of meeting the needs of many residential users either. These figures mirror those of other countries, with the United States having just over five per cent of domestic internet users on dial-up connections as of 2009, and the vast majority making use of home broadband. Another field that has achieved considerable growth in the last few years is mobile broadband, particularly in the Asia Pacific region but also worldwide, due to the proliferation of smartphones and other mobile devices. It’s clear that broadband internet is here to stay, though the technology must continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of residential and corporate users. Fibre optic broadband is a future-proof solution that is capable of scaling to higher levels of demand for at least the next few decades, so customers who are debating whether or not to invest in this emerging technology can be confident that they won’t have to upgrade their connections again for some considerable time. Speaking to your broadband supplier will inform you whether fibre optic connections have already reached your area. Bruce Giles writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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