Business Connections for Spring 2019

SPRING 2019 3 // Business Connections The huge impact of fiber is even more amazing when you consider just how tiny fiber is; each strand of glass is only about the size of a human hair. Fiber uses light to transmit data and is unique in its ability to transport virtually unlimited bandwidth over long distances. It’s the only technology that delivers enough bandwidth —reliably and at a low enough cost—to meet the ever-increasing demand for more robust Internet, video, and voice services as well as other applications. Thanks to fiber, Internet speeds of 1 Gig (equal to 1,000 Mbps per second) and higher are becoming more readily available.Why do we need all this bandwidth? Here are a few reasons: • Businesses are making a massive shift to cloud services. For economic efficiency, their critical systems now operate at remote data centers rather than on-site computers. The speed, reliability, and security of fiber connections make cloud services viable. • The American Telemedicine Association notes that telemedicine has gone from a side feature of the health care system to an expectation. • Services such as distance learning and remote energy management are expected to grow considerably over the next several years. Bandwidth demand is growing at an enormously high rate and is projected to grow for years to come. According to the Cisco® Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast, by the year 2021 there are expected to be 4.6 billion global Internet users and 27.1 billion networked devices and connections. In addition, 82 percent of all IP traffic will be video. 1 When fiber networks come to smaller cities and rural communities, it helps level the playing field and close the urban-rural technology gap. Existing businesses can access the Internet speeds and reliability needed to expand e-commerce. Economic development organiza- tions have an easier time attracting new businesses. And educational opportunities, once only found in large schools, can now be delivered to rural classrooms via online education. 1 https://investor.cisco.com/investor-relations/news-and-events/news/news-details/2017/ Cisco-Visual-Networking-Index-Predicts-Global-Annual-IP-Traffic-to-Exceed-Three- Zettabytes-by-2021/default.aspx To understand the importance of building fiber networks, it’s useful to look back at a couple of other life- changing infrastructure projects. By 1900 much of our nation’s railroad systemwas in place; it cleared the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic opportunities, and stimulated the devel- opment of communities. In the 1950s and 1960s, the new Interstate Highway System brought business to the towns it went through while towns far from the new faster roads struggled to survive. Today fiber is becoming as essential to business growth, and everyday life in general, as railroad tracks and highways were in the previous century. Fiber is the Next Utility It’s also a key to business growth, especially in rural areas