Perhaps the most important new component
of the homes of the future will be the unseen network. Homes will
be completely wired with fiber-optics cables running from appliance to
appliance
and room to room. These lines will transfer megabytes of data around
the home nearly instantaneously.
The chief part of this system will be the connection to
the internet. Today many people have connections that are only on
when they dial their provider, but in the future connections will be on
all the time. A new standard will take over, whether it is cable
modems or satellites. Both of these standards offer quick downloads
and uploads, something that will be necessary for the vast amount of data
that will travel in and out of the home. Streaming video will be
able to be played off the internet, while several phone conversations go
on. The type of bandwidth needed for this is nonexistent today, but
will be widely available in the future. Our connection to the rest
of the world will be fast, constant and reliable.
