Image by whurleyvision via Flickr
The Internet has turned into a widely utilized phenomenon that is becoming the basis of our fast paced and heavily modern based society. Through the growing number of businesses beginning to move aspects of their company to the world wide web, to more people accessing the Internet to find specific information over going to the library and looking for a book; there is truly no doubt on how dependent we have become on the Internet. It is difficult to imagine that just two decades ago, computers had not yet even begun to be a standard appliance within the home, let alone connectivity to the Internet.
In the mid 1990s, Internet access began picking up momentum, shifting through the various speeds of dial-up connectivity. This instance began with the inception of 14.4k modems, and eventually blossomed into the peak 56k modems that reigned as the fastest connection speed for a standard household. However, as technology began advancing through various means, particularly as it pertains to the transferring of data, cable companies began exploring other alternatives. Cable broadband connections began popping up in the late 1990s on through to early 2000. This new technology provided an affordable way for households to access the Internet at seemingly lightning speeds compared to the quickly fading dial-up connections.
As dial-up slowly died and faded into history, cable and DSL Internet continued picking up momentum. Soon after cable connections became the standard for household Internet connectivity, WiFi began peaking into the mainstream. Through the various portable devices such as laptops and the many different models of cell phones. Wireless capabilities started growing in popularity due to their ease of access and lack of limitations in terms of wiring. Currently, wireless routers are the most dominant source of Internet access in places that act as the central hub for connecting to the online world. The only question now is: in ten years, by what means will we be connecting to the Internet?
