Broadband Internet Is Not a Socket in the Wall

Here’s a statement made by Anssi Vanjoki at the recent Nokia World Conference: “Broadband Internet is not a socket in the wall, it is all around us”.

He draws and interesting picture and I think he is right. Today, many people already use Wifi access points to create their personal broadband Internet cloud. Thus, the broadband Internet IS virtually all around them. In the future people will not only use this cloud with desktop computers and notebooks but also with smaller devices such as mobile phones with built in Wifi capabilities (like Nokia N-series phones for example) or physical widgets . Smaller devices will also change the way we perceive the Internet cloud. No longer do you have to sit down at a specific place, e.g. in front of a computer, in order to communicate (VoIP, eMail, IM), to get information, or to publish information to the web yourself (pictures, blog entries, videos, etc.). Even today you don’t need to be in your personal Internet cloud anymore to perform these activities. When you leave your personal broadband cloud, 3G and 3.5G networks and WiMAX in the future are a natural extension. Instead of using Wifi, mobile Internet devices then switch over to the cellular network. As we move into the future the cloud will extend into areas not covered today, available bandwidth will increase and moving between the personal Internet cloud at home and the larger external cloud will become ever more seamless.

An interesting scenario for handset manufacturers like Nokia and others developing 3G/Wifi integrated multimedia handsets, for innovators of cool mobile services and for network operators such as Vodafone, O2 and Orange who have decided to include DSL lines into their portfolio to offer a home cloud in addition to the larger network coverage. It’s time to start the integration of handset, personal cloud and external cloud and mobile services into a homogeneous experience.

Comments

[Evert]

Martin,

Good post.
It is amazing how a lot of wireless operators still apply a fixed line business model. Look at so-called "fixed wireless". Surely that is missing the point completely..

Would like to have a chat sometime if you have a few free minutes...

E.