How the smartphone catalyzed a mobile—and data—revolution
By WP BrandStudio
Once every decade or so comes an innovation so transformative that it changes the game in its field, becoming the technology to build on for the next decade’s breakthrough. Arpanet, the U.S. Department of Defense project to link computers of disparate types was that breakthrough for the 1960s; it laid the foundations of the Internet. The following decade brought the first cellular phone. The personal computer took hold in the 1980s. The first Web browser came in the 1990s. And in 2007 came the device that brought it all together: the Apple iPhone.
The technologies behind the iPhone existed before Apple engineers integrated them. The true breakthrough was what this slim, glass and aluminum slab enabled: always-on connectivity. These days, we can take for granted the ability to conduct business and interact with our friends anywhere, any time, but it was this one device—in tandem with a robust cellular network—that launched the connected revolution.
As businesses and consumers came to understand the possibilities of always-on connectivity, data demands surged. Companies saw productivity and worker flexibility increase and began developing mobile apps and interfaces to bring work streams onto connected platforms. And consumers began viewing their mobile devices as entertainment portals—providing access to images and then video—not just communication tools.
Bringing such connectivity to what amounted to a handheld computer presented some network challenges in an era in which most cell traffic consisted of voice communications, with only occasional text and data use thrown in. Fortunately, networks have risen to the challenge of providing an unprecedented level of data access so that users can browse the Web, check email, and do more than ever online while on the go.
Today, mobile devices enable seamless collaboration around the globe, regardless of the type or brand being used, as well as streamlined operations for everything from business meetings and manufacturing operations to rescues.
One notable example was American football’s “big game” last season in Houston, where AT&T reported that fans at the stadium used a record-breaking 9.8 terabytes of data during the game. That’s more than three times the total mobile data used in the iPhone’s first five years of existence.
It’s all thanks to a remarkable device that set the pace for network data use for the next decade. What new technology will define the 2010s? It’s still too early to say with confidence. But whatever it is, the next breakthrough is sure to help us connect with one another, the cloud, and other devices via our networks as never before.
