Every year around this time, I sit down to think about what the coming year will bring. Most years, I take big swings and most years I’m pretty far off course. But that doesn’t stop me from trying again the next year.
So, that said, welcome to the 2022 edition of “this year’s predictions.” Like last year, I really only have one prediction, but it’s a really big one. It may seem like a no-brainer, but as you read on, I think you’ll see that it’s as big of a swing as any I’ve attempted in the past.
2022 will be the year that internet really matters.
I can hear you shaking your head from here. If I had made that prediction about 1992, you might have thought me on the avant-garde. But how can the internet matter more in 2022 than it did in 2021?
I think that ’22 will be the year that internet really, literally is everywhere. I think it will be really, literally, be used for everything. You may think the internet is a tight part of your life in ’21, but friends, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Internet on the water
Our marine customers are aware of a sad truth: once you get more than a few miles from shore, your internet connection disappears. It’s easy to sail far enough that it becomes a problem. And it’s high time someone solved that problem.
’22 will see marine internet take off like crazy. Led by new hardware offerings from Intellian and new service offerings from our very own Signal Connect, more people will be able to stay connected than ever before. After all, as I say… getting away from it all doesn’t mean being disconnected.
Internet on the road
The big surge in unlimited cell phone plans really created a push in mobile internet. After all, if you can stream and surf to your heart’s content (while as a passenger of course) why wouldn’t you? Why? Because a lot of times, the internet experience on the road isn’t that good. Speeds are low and cell towers can get overloaded. This year it’s going to be different.
AT&T and other providers are working hard to improve the mobile experience by expanding 5G coverage everywhere. They did a great job in ’21 but the best is definitely yet to come. It’s not clear whether or not carriers will be able to build out mid-band 5G — that may have to wait another year — but the end of 3G services opens up a lot of capacity for 5G so that everyone can stream faster and more reliably than ever.
While you’re waiting your turn for the carriers to do their work, you’ll be able to use a new generation of cellular signal boosters from weBoost, SureCall, and others. Having a cell booster in your car, truck, SUV, or RV, puts you at the front of the line when it comes to cell service. You’ll lock on to distant towers long before anyone else can.
Internet at home
And at home, of course, customers in AT&T territories will find even more access to gigabit fiber, meaning practically no limit to the speeds you can get. Combine that with extra capacity being built by the largest internet companies, and the result is an end to congestion.
The world of content
With the internet growing by 1,100,000,000,000 megabytes a day, it’s hard to imagine how it could grow any faster. But it’s not raw data here. It’s what you do with it. The streaming video revolution is just getting started and big players like DIRECTV Stream and Sling are in the middle of it. You’ll still have plenty of opportunity to use satellite to get live TV in ’22 but the market for those who want to use the internet is going to blow wide open.
Will I be right? Will I be wrong?
There’s only one way to find out, dear readers… I’ll see you right back here in another 365 days.
