Throughout history, periods of time have sometimes been given labels that tended to identify predominant cultural, sociological, or ideological themes. The 18th and 19th centuries were frequently called the Industrial Age, and the 20th century, especially the last half of it, was often dubbed the Information Age.
The continual pushing of the technological envelope and the marvels that are being produced might eventually lead someone to identify the era in which we now live as the Wi-Fi Age.
Not many people would have imagined just a few short years ago that you would be able to travel across the US and keep in instantaneous touch with the folks back home. The cell phone, of course, made that idea a reality—one that is practiced daily by millions.
Over the past few years, technological advances associated with the Internet have further expanded opportunities and methods for communication. Nowadays, anyone with the proper Internet provider, computer, and a wireless card can link up with people, check messages, visit websites, and stay informed about news happenings around the world. Many times, this can be done while walking down the street or sitting in a hotel, coffee shop, or just in your car.
The popularity of wireless Internet or wi-fi networking is growing exponentially, and more than 64,000 pay-for-use wi-fi locations have been installed worldwide. In the US, Texas ranks 2nd in such locales with more than 1,800, which represents about 7.12% of the nation’s total. The most popular sites for pay wi-fi include hotels, resorts, restaurants and cafes, and retail stores, but they are also located in libraries, marinas, health clubs, hospitals, and office buildings.
Houston has nearly 300 pay sites and is ranked only behind New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. Other cities in the Lone Star State with approximate numbers of wireless locales include Austin (250), Dallas (200), San Antonio (150), and Fort Worth (50). Many other communities are in the process of creating myriad kinds of wi-fi networks.
The approach drawing the most enthusiasm is the development of free wireless hotspots. Texas is 3rd in the number of these kinds of Internet opportunities, behind California and Illinois. Among the major US cities, Austin ranks 4th in the number of free wireless sites. Houston places 8th, and Dallas is 18th in free wi-fi locales.
Although the average amount of time Americans spent online at home last year dropped 2%, worldwide Internet growth was 36.3% in 2004. The largest numbers of in-home Internet procedures involved communication and content searches.
With the advances we are seeing today in high-speed Internet, expectations are that usage of the computer and special hand-held devices to “stay in touch” will rise significantly in the days ahead. Some 51% of Americans who use the Internet now have broadband, and Texas has over 2 million subscribers.
Years from now, when wi-fi has become as “American as apple pie” and communication from any place we travel to almost any place on the planet via the Internet is commonplace, we might wonder how we were ever able to get along without it.