All-optical communications will, for years to come, face competition from electronic communications, whose price continues to drop while its performance improves. Nevertheless, an all-optical network offers compelling advantages. It would provide so much capacity that the exhange of video and large computer files would become routine … One can only begin to imagine the uses for a network in which bandwidth becomes as inexpensive as electricity, gas or water.
Predictor: Chan, Vincent
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article published in Scientific American, Vincent Chan discusses the coming fiberoptic network enhancements. He writes: ”All-optical communications will, for years to come, face competition from electronic communications, whose price continues to drop while its performance improves. Nevertheless, an all-optical network offers compelling advantages. It would provide so much capacity that the exhange of video and large computer files would become routine. A video camcorder owner could plug the camera into a cable wall gullet and have relatives across the country participate in a child’s birthday through video linkages. In fact, one can only begin to imagine the uses for a network in which bandwidth becomes as inexpensive as electricity, gas or water.”
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Information Infrastructure
Subtopic: Bandwidth
Name of publication: Scientific American
Title, headline, chapter name: All-Optical Networks
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney