For example, the cable company that provides my internet access, both home and business, offers standard service, rated at 20000 kbps, which actually runs at about 5000 kbps. The higher-priced plan is rated at 40000 kbps, but actually operates at about 14000 kbps. The only difference is the speed. It uses all the same hardware, software, and fiber. The difference is the speed at which the cable operator allows it to run. Those are download speeds. Upload speeds are much slower, also via a throttle.The United States, once a world technical leader, is now unable to stay in the list of the top ten fastest internet countries. On the latest list that I have seen, the U.S. ranked 14th. The U.S. was once a world business leader, as well, but will not be if our internet speeds don't rise in a business world built on cloud computing. It is apparent that the throttling of access speeds by providers is a large part of the problem.
We will need much faster speeds (not to mention much better security) to operate our businesses on the cloud computing theory. Even if our providers were to open the throttles completely, there would not be enough bandwidth for this new paradigm. We have raised speeds a couple of times with new hardware since the start of the internet.
Our probable needs now call for at least an order of magnitude increase, to something more in the half-million kbps range. The hardware is available to do it. The will to do it has been lacking so far, especially since there is an epic struggle for control of the internet. Cloud computing is a logical future paradigm. Simple greed is keeping us from achieving that goal. One wonder if the lust for control will completely stifle the future of the internet.
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