Fibre and its capacity are very important for progress on the Internet, but are they really drivers of change? In recent years, user devices have had a big effect on Internet usage, the smart phone being one of the latest examples. And it's not just user devices: sensors and other "things" feature more and more on the Internet and shape the type and pattern of usage. In the Earnest study, technological projections were focussed largely on transmission and routing technology, at the expense of end-user devices. So we missed out on user devices, and on the overall trend towards mobility and ubiquity. This time, let's keep the user and her requirements and aspirations in mind.
Mike Norris