Looking back 15 years it’s hard to believe how far we’ve advanced technologically in our homes since the days of connecting to the internet via a modem. Back in 1996 we had top speeds of 36,500 bits per second – if you were able to get your modem to connect. Fast forward to today, and we now average broadband speeds of 12,000,000 bits per second. Desktop PC’s are now 27 times faster at one-third the cost.
In his article “Coming In 2026: Truly Smart Homes, Unlimited Storage”, Patrick Lo, who is the Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Netgear, gives us look at 15 years into the future – the year 2026.
Lo expects to see the following technologies likely to be common in most homes:
- “Ultraband” instead of broadband
- Virtually unlimited storage
- Machines talk among themselves
- Truly “smart” homes
- Personal portals
He further goes on to explain that many of these technology changes are already happening today. That there will be many challenges with digital information with privacy issues. Even in 2026 it’s unlikely that everyone will have Internet access. Still, many opportunities exist to improve life, build new industries and create new jobs.
What we think at NextGen Digital Home:
This is an interesting article on the future of the digital home. While no one knows for sure what life will be like in 15 year, Patrick Lo would be one of the more qualified persons to speculate. It all sounds rather science fiction at this time, but it certainly sounds more technically feasible now than it would have 15 years ago…
