The Road Map to a Broadband Nation

Tired of asking "Are we there yet?" Communities across the United States are rolling out sophisticated broadband technologies to take the future for a test-drive. Here’s where you’ll find them.

The future seldom announces itself, even when it’s already here. Consider what’s happening with broadband Internet access. Advanced technologies like high-speed cable, wireless data networks, 3G cellular, and supercharged copper wires are ushering in a new era of interactivity. It’s become routine to play a game of video baseball with a pal across the country, or download movies from Movielink or CinemaNow, or build a digital jukebox of 99-cent songs from iTunes. Yet all of that is just the beginning.

Half of all U.S. households will have broadband access by next year, with the portion climbing to 75 percent by 2010. Not surprisingly, the quantity of data being pumped into homes is also increasing. Next-generation DSL and passive optical-networking technologies will usher in data rates in the range of 24 megabits per second — nearly six times quicker than today’s fastest cable modems. Thanks to new DSL chip designs, network speeds will climb to 100 Mbps by next year, according to research firm Technology Futures.

By Om Malik

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