Small businesses that want the fastest broadband Internet around today generally sign up for gig-speed, which transfers data at speeds of 1 gigabit per second (1G) or faster. In the not-too-distant future, though, they will have access to 10G Internet — a whopping 10 times faster.
CableLabs, an innovation and research and development lab, has been leading the development of the 10G platform and working with cable Internet providers to test and start rolling out 10G Internet in some smaller U.S. cities and communities.
Because the 10G platform uses the existing hybrid fiber coaxial network, the evolution won’t require that new fiber be laid, according to CableLabs. This also means a broader rollout of 10G Internet may only be a few years away.
10G Internet could revolutionize the types and numbers of technologies that businesses will be able to leverage — and how quickly. Here are just a few of the ways it could help small businesses in the future:
“Most small businesses are incredibly reliant on the Internet for almost all of their functions, from storing data to communicating with customers and fellow employees, to payroll, to point-of-sale systems, and much more,” says Kyle MacDonald, director of operations for Force by Mojio, a GPS fleet tracking service based in Campbell, California. “10G would essentially speed up all of these things, and the faster things are, the more efficient the entire business becomes. Sales and production cycles can become shorter, which increases revenue.”
The next major evolution of the Internet—the metaverse—will involve the integration of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality and mixed reality experience. Many businesses will be looking to leverage these technologies to enhance their customer experience and digitally transform their operations. 10G Internet, thanks to its great speed, will have the potential to unleash the metaverse for many small businesses and make the integration of these technologies that require a lot of data and bandwidth easy and seamless. “One could imagine something like VR applications or massive real-time user feedback being possible with speeds like this,” says Devon Fata, CEO and president of Pixoul, a Dallas, Texas-based innovation consultancy.
As more businesses rely on tech-driven customer interactions like video conferencing and digital experiences, these will only become more dynamic and satisfying as connectivity speeds increase. Already, small businesses are relying more on video to engage customers — that will only become more practical and effective when 10G is ubiquitous.
Dealing with slow technology due to inadequate connectivity can be a morale killer for employees. 10G Internet will allow employees to work and collaborate with greater ease. “Workplaces set up with a 10G network backbone will be able to share and distribute large files in a fraction of the time and, when coupled with centralized, mass storage, 10G will allow for far better collaboration and more secure data backup,” says Weston Happ, product development manager for Merchant Maverick, a software review site based in Orange, California.
Looking to the future, faster broadband Internet will only mean more business opportunities and transformation. And the small businesses that leverage their access to high-speed connectivity will be best positioned to grow and succeed.
