The value of speed...

 

 

 

"The 56K modem had gone the way of the horse and buggy. We are now in the world of Buck Rogers and beyond..."

Years ago when I worked at IBM, we would have an occasional tech briefing about different technologies the company was working on. Often times these briefings were conducted by engineers or scientists who worked at the company's Watson Lab. During one of the briefings, a new plasma display was introduced. It was the industry's sharpest display to date. Once the demo was over, the man from the lab said this was it - there would be no more improvements to the display. He went on to say the value was not there - the human eye could not discern anymore clarity. IBM had taken the technology as far as it could while  still generating value.

Many of us remember years ago sitting by our computer waiting for a download. The internet was up and running and everything was hunky dory - that is until the information hit the speed wall. Most computers had a modem - and if you were lucky, your modem was 56K. Even with 56K, some sites took minutes to download. And video? Forget about it!

That is all in the past now. Most every computer has outgrown the days of the modem and internet speeds have gone up like a Saturn Rocket. I checked my computer speed this morning. My download speed is 18 Mbps and my upload speed is 11 Mbps. That is downloading 18,000,000 bits of information per second. Compared to the old modem days, I feel like Flash Gordon. However, compared to the new fiber optic upgrades which are coming, I am running through molasses.

With my current bundle of services, my cable company offers a speed of 40 Mbps. Computer speeds are like mileage on a car. "This car will get 35mpg - that is, going downhill with the wind and your back." I don't get 40 Mbps and doubt if I ever will with the current technology and pipeline. However, there is a new kid on the block. And he is fast.

Google has managed to soup up a fiber optic network to obtain unheard of speeds. Hundreds of times faster than many current systems. How fast? Close to 1B Mbps. That is 1,000,000,000 bits of information per second. That is fast enough to download five HD videos at the same time. Plus the upload and download speeds are almost the same. Plus it does not cost an arm and a leg. Some test cities have offered this service for $70/month, and it includes 1 Tb of storage to boot.

Let me go back to the Watson Lab for a sec. The plasma screens had run their course as they could get no better. If the human eye got better, then maybe the screens could have got better also. There is also a limit to how much value we get out of speed. Even though my download speed is very slow by today's standards, it is fine for me. Someone would have to show me a value proposition on what I would receive in return for paying an additional $70/month for a 1 Gb service.

Well, that about wraps it up. I will now upload this article to the blogosphere to be downloaded by others to read. My puny speed will have it uploaded in less than a second. With the value of time these days, to me, that is still a good value.