PDF of this tutorialDefinition
The confluence of two forces—the globalization of business and the networking of information technology—has created the Internet economy. Electronic commerce and technology industries are growing and changing the economy of the United States and much of the rest of the world at breathtaking speeds. Today's economic shifts are having a more profound impact on the lives of individuals than did the Industrial Revolution. By leveling the playing field for everyone, advances in telecommunications and data technology are creating new opportunities for businesses, countries, and individuals—just as the Industrial Revolution changed fortunes around the globe. The new economy is defining how people do business, communicate, shop, have fun, learn, and live on a global basis—connecting everyone to everything.
This tutorial describes the evolution and technologies in broadband access. A brief history tracing the evolution of Internet and broadband access will be presented as well as the specific market drivers propelling this shift. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 created great opportunities for service providers of all types to maximize their revenue by offering new and exciting services. Voice over digital subscriber line (DSL) is one such opportunity; streaming media and video conferencing are another. It is hard to say whether deregulation or technology had a larger impact on competition in the telecom industry. What is clear is that both of these have completely changed the communications landscape forever.
The Internet and broadband revolution, and the network congestion that followed, has led people to focus both on the first and last mile as well as on creating a different network infrastructure to avoid the network congestion and access problems.
The information presented in The Evolution of Broadband Web ProForum is the summary of a 400 page research report published by the IEC and Hellerstein & Associates. While all attempts have been made to design this Web ProForum to provide a true summary of the entire report. Nevertheless, not all topics discussed in the complete edition of the report are adequately addressed in this Web ProForum.
