'Through the Looking Glass' The Infrastructure of Information

摘要

When an internet service provider intentionally slows the speed of their service, it is called "throttling." That term evokes the idea of partially cutting off access to a vital resource and has clear negative connotations. Although the villain is less clear, the reality is that policy, business models, and technical limitations constantly exert a throttling effect on our internet infrastructure. This column explores the importance of access to high-speed internet for the transmission of information, as well as its role in sparking other technological innovations. It will explore the concept of the internet as a basic utility and use the examples of 5G, gigabyte-speed internet, and steaming video games to illuminate how future access to increasingly high speeds of internet could be transformational.