Bandwidth is going to become one of the major determining factors in the future as more and more data needs to be transmitted in the age of cloud and IoT. Since bandwidth needs to increase, technology also needs to step on the accelerator very soon or there can never be optimal growth. Cloud computing and optical fibre seem to be the perfect fit because they tend to have higher transmission capacity as well as efficiency. In some countries, the fibre optical revolution has already gained some momentum, such as Japan.
Nearly 70 percent on its communication technologies use optical fibre, while in USA, the percentage is only 11. Surely, such disparate figures need to be changed immediately if the IoT revolution has to arrive. The fibre market, however, is showing unmistakable signs of growth as investors and companies have realized the shift. The combined force of cloud and IoT have been driving this change and there is no doubt that it is necessary.
Cloud is expanding fast
The first concern for bandwidth is the most dominant technology of all- cloud computing. Currently, as much as 1 Exabyte data is stored in cloud, and needless to say, it will be multiplied in the years to come. Hence, the concern is not simply about data capacity but also transmission since this data will always be mobile and to keep the mobility smooth, you need premier standard transmission capacity.
Statistical analysis shows that the growth of cloud traffic has been the most remarkable in North America and it will continue to show the growth curve. Asia pacific is not far behind either. In short, terabits of data needs to be transmitted per second if such is the growth and hence, fibre becomes the ultimate necessity. Since no technology has been able to surpass fibre optics as of now, it is being seen as the first choice for many.
Making things mobile
Mobile technology is not simply about smartphones and related consumptions, but much more. While it is true that mobile video data will grow around 900% in the next five years and huge amount of mobile traffic needs to be compensated, it is difficult to predict what virtual reality and augmented reality can do once it arrives in full force. Mobile will contribute to as much as 20% of internet traffic compared to the current 8% once the new decade arrives.
More importantly, since a host of new technologies will be dependent on mobile communication such as smart watches, automate cars and many other personal devices, it is difficult to pinpoint mobile technology and its particular demands. More data will be passing through the mobile devices, that’s for sure. As per the automated cars are concerned, 25 GB data will be transmitted to cloud per hour.
Such data can only be handled by a combination of 5G and obviously, fibre optics. Even in cloud computing, you need to establish trans-continental networks to make sure that the global communication remains firmly operational with the fibre networks. Connecting the land and the ocean is very easy with fibre optics. More importantly, copper-based wires cannot take the stress of 4G and 5G because of the humongous data transfer and the heating issue is becoming problematic.
The global players
While United States does have the highest number of mobile device subscribers, Japan has proved to be a tough competitor with a pervasive fibre optical network. However, China, another Asian powerhouse, is quickly adopting this new technology as its fibre optics network will surpass the density of Japan’s by next year. Given that Asian countries are shifting thick and fast, it is evident that United States needs to change its communicational strategies if it is to have significant impact on the global scale.
Of course, the fibre optics market is ready for it and will probably have the greatest boost as United States plunges into the fibre optics revolution. While some careers like Verizon and AT&T have started investing in this change, not everyone has followed suit. However, fibre optic cable manufacturers such as Corning have already entered into big deals with these providers. Such information is a clear sign of an imminent paradigm shift in the United States.