Although it seems only like yesterday that mobile Internet appeared to be light years away, in the last few years mobile Internet technology has caught on very rapidly and progressed farther than we ever imagined. This has resulted in an extremely mobile environment that is designed for all types of users on the go and the growing popularity of social media has propelled a mobile society even further into a next generation lifestyle.
So why is mobile Internet changing communications technology and what are some of the ways it has changed the way we live, work, and play?
Mobile Internet Evolution
Just over two decades ago the Internet was gradually introduced to the general public after previously being used for military purposes. Usenet newsgroups marked the beginning of the gravitation toward consumer access. The first form of Internet connectivity was dial-up which occupied your telephone line which means you missed your telephone calls while accessing the Internet. The connection was slow compared to today’s connections and often the line was busy when the server was experiencing a lot of traffic. Regardless, it still marked a significant step toward where we are today.
During this time the cell phone was also introduced which consisted of 1G which was only capable of handling voice signals. By the early 1990s the first store opened up online and search engines were still virtually an unknown phenomenon. Not many households saw the importance of having a computer in their home.
It was during the 1990s that 2G was implemented for cell phones with one standard established in the US while another standard was established in other parts of the world. This double standard still made cell phone connections incompatible since the two standards were different from one another.
By the turn of this century wireless began to be implemented and more computers started to appear in the common household. Cell phone connections were established in 3G which required upgrades from 2G which were sometimes costly. 3G marked the beginning of mobile Internet as we know it today with 4G phones that can handle voice and Internet in addition to the download of large amounts of data and multimedia. Now, on a daily basis you are bound to see multiple people using their cell phone, texting, and surfing the Internet as we enter the next generation known as mobile Internet
The Impact of Mobile Internet
Mobile Internet is much more than just a new type of Internet connectivity. Instead, it is seen as an integration that is changing communications technology forever and providing solutions that just a short time ago we never thought were possible. With the inception of wireless Internet and increased mobile device capability it has revolutionized the way we communicate and do business on a daily basis.
What does this mean for the workforce and businesses? Well, due to high technology capabilities in the current mobile phones and mobile Internet it is not only changing the way we communicate, it is changing the way we “prefer” to communicate. The inception of mobile broadband has encouraged the use of social media in conjunction with cell phone technology and has allowed for face to face interaction through VoIP services such as Skype. Additionally, it has put a workforce that was formerly immobile in the driver’s seat for being in touch remotely. The ability to collaborate on projects from different parts of the world over the Internet has become a lot more common.
For retail businesses mobile Internet has forced them to rethink customer service and change the way they serve their client base to suit today’s mobile customer on the go. Hence the inception of .mobi websites that are designed for use with a small screen device and social media strategies that provide immediate customer resolution and service.
For professionals in the workforce mobile Internet has allowed for networking with like-minded professionals and created more visibility when it comes to searching for employment. Mobile Internet has also allowed many people in the workforce to achieve a better life-work balance by providing a high speed connection that allows for telecommuting and increased work productivity.
Some of the innovations described here are only the beginning as mobile broadband comes into its own. People prefer to run their life on the go as opposed to remaining stationary and with so many people connected to a virtual world through cell phone technology, it will be interesting to see the many developments in this field that are about to come.
When you think about the evolution of the Internet you will see a relatively short period of time has passed before it changed the way we live, work, and play. 4G marks the next wave of mobile Internet which will enable the consumer, working professional, and businesses to access applications and communicate whenever and wherever they want. This represents a brand new mobile internet marketplace that will change the telecommunications industry forever.