Alright, so I realized something the other day while talking to a coworker about video.
The bad news is, we won't be getting gigabit and beyond throughput and bandwidth for a long time.
The good news is, even without legislation, it will come eventually, because the primary driving factor of internet speeds will be video. 4K (or ultra high-definition, whatever the hell you want to call it) will push the limits of what nations' networking infrastructure can handle. When it becomes commonplace, there will be little choice but for the telecoms to upgrade their infrastructure in those countries they've sat on their asses about it, because they are going to have to carry 4K programming and deliver it to customers. If they don't, someone else will do it, and they will go the way of the dodo as they should.
It gets even better once 8K (super hi-vision) becomes common. The resolution of super hi-vision will be approaching medium format film. 35mm will for all intents and purposes, be obsolete (save for that vintage "film" feel). Even more bandwidth and throughput will be needed to deliver and access 8K content. Telecoms will have no choice but to upgrade infrastructure to deliver such large amounts of data. As of right now, super hi-vision requires so much bandwidth, it can only be delivered via satellite.
Another thing video is pushing is development in storage technology, because all this super hi-def video has to be stored somehow. Not as big of a problem in the studio, but in the field, it's going to really get in the way, because storage needs to be compact and mobile. But I digress...
So we will get the infrastructure for blazing fast internet speeds eventually. However, this is no excuse for the shit we put up with and pay out the nose for now. Do-not-wait...and demand faster service now. I'm just making an observation about the forces driving the innovation in certain aspects of technology. I'm not justifying why we have such slow speeds.
I think the other thing that will guarantee we all will be getting faster internet in the next couple years is big data. They will not remain satisfied with grabbing a screen shot off your webcam once every 10 minutes, they will want persistent video and audio. That will eat up bandwidth. We will be watching 4K youtube and netflix, and they will be watching us in hd also. Maybe if I shake my head back and forth rapidly when I watch netflix, they can't get a retina scan off me:)
It's crazy, because we are relying on the business profit model to get our internet access. They want the most money possible for the least investment. The ISP's are running on ancient infrastructure, and it's failing them. They sell bandwidth they don't even have right now in alot of areas. I think that's why the government is considering making internet access a basic need, like a utility. Mind you, the government only does what it is told to do by big money, so it is really the big money interests that want internet to be deemed a basic human right. That way the government will use taxpayer money to build awesome infrastructure, the ISP's will highjack that network, and sell us all gigabit and make billions. This sucks, but it means in a few years, we will all have gigabit. I think we will hear alot more about this issue after the election primaries are settled and the main election is nearing. Because big money wants this done, I think both candidates will be on board, and they will be hyping "better internet for all".
The fiber foundation is being laid out right now. When i went to check out a lineman school near me a few weeks back, here in Kentucky. The instructor told me that a contracting company currently had a 10 year contract to lay fiber lines from Lexington to Harlan and other contractors in different states where picking up these fiber contracts. Now whether we will see any change in the ISP status quo, is a different story. AT&T, currently my only option, data capped me a couple days ago despite being 'grandfathered', i.e. no data cap, into their new data system. But, the foundation is currently being implemented for faster speeds in the US.
The FCC already ruled that the Internet should be classified as a utility, but no one gives a flying fuck what they think. I don't think it will get much attention during the election. There might be one question during one of the debates during the general election, but I expect nothing more.
this might be true to a point but they have a monopoly and can flex there muscles very hard. they can work with other isps to fix prices and slow down expansion of the networks
I really think the ISP's themselves are behind the push towards making internet access a right, rather than entertainment. They want the upload bandwidth expanded for data collection. Even though they cry and scream about internet growth, they do need it to happen, but by making it a right, they will get us to pay for it. Then they buy bandwith in chunks, consolidate those chunks together into geographic monopolies, then rape us for our data.