The internet has come such a long way since its birth in 1983. It has manifested so much that it is now taken the world by storm, leaving millions relying on it heavily for daily life. It serves as the perfect platform for business, entertainment, communication, and education. The changes come both gradually and suddenly, at the same time, depending on what is introduced. But one thing for sure is that its growth does not go un-noticed. With that being said, even though we have come so far, that does not mean internet technology companies are done innovating. In fact, there are four amazing future technologies that we can get ready to experience.
Facebook has been developing large solar drones to spread internet access to every part of the globe. Connectivity Lab under Facebook brought development builds of these solar-powered drones to flight in June 2016 with a test flight that lasted 96 minutes (66 minutes longer than expected). The wingspan of these drones matches that of a Boeing 747 and will travel all over the world, beaming internet to areas that could not attain it otherwise.
Another technology, Li-Fi, promises to surpass the current Wi-Fi speeds by a factor of 100. Developed by a French startup, Li-Fi takes advantage of LED lamp flicker rates, which are imperceptible to the naked eye. Because the technology relies on light, it cannot penetrate through walls like standard wireless technologies. Still, the increase in speed would be paramount in demanding environments like hospitals and schools.
Google has its own project that precedes Facebook’s internet-beaming solar drones. It is a balloon-based internet access called "Project Loon." These internet balloons are designed to spread connectivity in rural parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, and anywhere else in the world that lacks internet coverage. The project began to gain traction in 2013 when Google gained residents of California's Central Valley to volunteer and let the team install an antenna on their homes to test the balloons. Tests have taken place over many continents in the last three years and continues to work towards perfecting the technology to release.
Samsung has an "out of this world" idea for bringing the internet to all areas of the global map using satellites. In 2015, Samsung proposed a network of 4,600 satellites to float in low-earth orbit that could beam 1 trillion gigabytes per month. These satellites would fly closer to the earth’s surface to provide access to those who do not have it, and speeds that rival or surpass current satellite technologies.
Those the internet and internet technologies are just a few decades old, it has experienced significant changes in such a short time span. Yes, internet technologies have risen and nearly dominated the globe, but that does not mean it is finished. It is an ever-changing place with endless possibilities, and these are just four of those opportunities. With such potential, it will be quite incredible to see what comes out next.