What’s next for the Internet?
Cable TV hasn’t been around for a long time, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming the most popular form of entertainment in the United States. Over 66 million American households subscribe to digital cable programming and the average American watches almost five hours of TV every day.And this generates billions of dollars in revenue for the cable companies.
Whether you subscribe to cable TV or not, you may still be paying money to a cable company to access the Internet. Will it always be this way?
We Need High-Speed Internet, Not TV
People are realizing they can cut the cable TV cord, but watching TV remains the preferred way for audiences to consume video. This means you are probably streaming video from the Internet on your TV screen; not on your mobile device or computer. And because the cable company is most likely your Internet provider, this also guarantees they continue making huge profits.
Dial-up and DSL connectivity cannot keep pace with the technology we require today. High-speed Internet access is the only acceptable way to use the World Wide Web and it’s never been easier to connect to it. Broadband also makes it very easy to get rid of your cable TV subscription.
Content-streaming devices like the Chromecast and Roku, combined with services like Hulu and Netflix, allow you to watch TV programming at a fraction of the cost. And when the cable companies realized the Internet would be their biggest competition, they decided to sell you access – making it seem like they actually own it.
Nobody really “owns” the Internet, but the cable industry definitely controls it. And depending on where you live, you may be forced to pay money to one of the four biggest providers that combine broadband and pay-TV services: Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, or AT&T.
We don’t have a lot of options when it comes to choosing an Internet provider, and soon we may have even less.
The Monopoly Could Get More Monopolized
Yesterday, Time Warner Cable and Comcast filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to criticism regarding the companies’ proposed merger. The companies claim that a combination of the two largest cable and broadband providers is a “straightforward merger” and won’t hinder consumers in any way.
But that is clearly not the case.
If the merger is accepted by the FCC, the new company would control 36% of the nation’s broadband and 33% of its pay-TV service. This would also monopolize the cable industry even more and limit the number of choices for consumers. And if the cable industry is also able to win the battle against net neutrality, then the future of the Internet will be solely in the hands of the cable companies.
Fortunately, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler seems to be on our side, but it’s not a guarantee the Internet will be saved.
“Meaningful competition for high-speed wired broadband is lacking and Americans need more competitive choices for faster and better Internet connections. Three-quarters of American homes have no competitive choice for the essential infrastructure for 21st century economics and democracy.Stop and let that sink in…three-quarters of American homes have no competitive choice for the essential infrastructure for 21st century economics and democracy. Included in that is almost 20 percent who have no service at all.”
– Tom Wheeler, FCC Chairman
Cable Companies Need the Internet
At the turn of the century, only 3% of American households had broadband access. Less than 15 years later, that number has jumped to a whopping 70%. And as new technology keeps demanding we have an “always on” connection, the cable companies stand to reap huge rewards if they’re able to take control of the Internet.
Who Uses Broadband in America?
- 70% of Men
- 70% of Women
- 81% of 18-29-Year-Olds
- 77% of 33-49-Year-Olds
- 68% of 50-64-Year-Olds
- 47% of 65-Year-Olds
Because the largest demographic of broadband users keeps getting younger, there will eventually come a time where everyone uses it. As more people start abandoning their pay-TV subscriptions in favor of streaming services, the only way for the cable companies to survive will rely on offering broadband access.
Cable companies need the Internet, because the pay-TV subscription model is outdated. But what does this mean for the future of the Internet?
What if…?
What if the Time Warner Cable/Comcast merger goes through? What if Team Cable wins the battle against Team Internet for net neutrality? What if consumers have no choice in who grants them Internet access?
All these questions have the same answer: The Internet as we know it will be destroyed.
Internet access is rapidly becoming a necessity instead of a luxury. Unlike cable TV, many people actually need the Internet just to go about our daily lives. And unless 66 million households decide to cut the cord entirely, we will always be dependent on the cable companies to grant us Internet access.
What is the future of the Internet? Is it possible to sever all ties with the cable industry and find an alternative? What will the Internet be like in 100 years? Let us know in the comments below!
