Stories

An in-person event once again this year – at least in hybrid form – the Consumer Electronics Show came to Las Vegas from January 5 to 8 with over 1900 exhibitors and some 2,400 members of the press. And after a year of virtual conferencing due to the pandemic, CES 2022 returned in a big way, with some of the biggest names in tech showing the latest in innovation, from TVs to tablets, smart glasses to smart gadgets, watches to wireless devices, and much more. With so much to see, absorb, and ponder, what did we learn from this year’s conference? Here are three of our biggest takeaways.   

From a tech and entertainment standpoint, there’s plenty to be excited for in 2022. From expanded broadband access, widespread adoption of Wi-Fi 6, and production of cutting-edge content taking place across the country, our future is both fast and entertaining!

Every day, through our computers and mobile phones, our televisions and smart devices, broadband keeps us connected, working, and entertained. During the COVID-19 crisis, it has been a lifeline, allowing schools to operate, families to keep in touch, businesses to keep selling, and the public to stay informed. It seems virtually impossible to imagine how we would have weathered the pandemic without it. But behind the obvious benefits brought to us by blazing fast internet, broadband provides other fundamental gains – ones that are no less important for being less visible. Thanks to the recently released Investing in America report, let’s take a look at three of broadband’s hidden advantages.

While the COVID pandemic disrupted every facet of our lives, few areas were as affected as education. After the onset of the pandemic, over a hundred thousand schools across the United States were forced to close their doors long term, leaving some 55 million teachers and students scrambling to keep vital lines of communication open. This unprecedented situation threatened to wreak havoc on our education system and cause harm to students who didn’t have an internet connection at home.

Around here we talk a lot about broadband. From its promising uses for distance learning and home offices to gaming and streaming a diverse range of entertainment, broadband has become entwined in all our lives.

The COVID pandemic has been a once-in-a-century health crisis, upending lives and livelihoods worldwide. With the need for safe access to healthcare during the crisis came a renewed focus on an emerging phenomenon: telehealth, or the use of the internet to provide quality care at a distance. According to a new study, the use of telehealth to treat Medicare patients rose some 10,000% in the first six weeks of the pandemic. This exponential rise underscored a fundamental truth: the life-or-death importance of having a reliable broadband connection. Telehealth, then, is the crossroads between innovation and infrastructure. Let’s explore the latest telehealth trends, and how its advanced technology is being supported by a powerful broadband network.

Throughout the pandemic, popular platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts have not only kept us learning, playing, and communicating – they have quite literally kept the world economy afloat. All of this has been made possible by a robust broadband infrastructure that kept the communication going even in the face of increased internet use of up to 40% in general and an amazing 300% on videoconferencing applications. This phenomenon underscores a fundamental point: in today’s society, a broadband connection is no longer an option; it’s an essential. So how exactly has videoconferencing changed our society over the course of the pandemic? And what does a future of superfast internet mean for the further development of these platforms? Let’s take a look.

For many of us, the word “robotics” calls forth an image of laser-eyed humanoids from a sci-fi movie. But reality is not quite so dramatic. In fact, the science of robotics, combined with the power of our broadband infrastructure, has already transformed many of our homes and workplaces into centers of “smart” activity, both inside and out. In today’s post, we’ll look at how advances in robotics are already revolutionizing our lives—and what’s to come in our 10G future.