Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

Garber Rant: The future of World Communications

Garber Rant: The future of World Communications

by Anne Garber

In Canada, telecommunications represent the power that binds us together as a people. We're a little ribbon of a country, strung like Christmas lights across the lid of the United States, and the energy that makes us glow is the ability to talk to one another.

The Genesis of my Angst:
That's one of the reasons I've been so enraged over the years to watch the powers-that-be in Toronto and Ottawa make decisions that affect our lonely provinces 'Way Out West without a second thought to what binds us together in the first place. Sure, CBC can take another hit. Bail out that National Airline that charges usurious fees to Canadians, in order that they might transverse the hundredth meridian at top-dollar rates (even though as taxpayers, we are footing the bill). Undermine the National Railway and it just might be the Last Spike, n'est-ce pas?

Our country was BUILT on transportation and communication, so why revere those roots? Because they are the only things defining us AS Canadians, that's why!

Meanwhile, the connections -- and common ground -- out here in Cascadia (Western BC, Coastal Washington and Oregon) have everything to do with transportation and communication. And communications have taken a big one-eighty in the last couple of years.

No longer are we guarding borders from thought; no longer are we celebrating the differences, but enjoying our common ground. Here in BC, we love Seattle: We love the arts scene, the home-made goodies, the farm markets. We appreciate each other to a degree that we often suspect the rest of our respective countries do not respect us.

The Pacific Northwest is a haven for communicators. Why else would we now assume our iPods and laptops are appendages as important as arms and legs? We are PLUGGED IN, dude!

The future IS friendly:

So what does the future hold? Who would have guessed a mere ten years ago that we would be so tied to our computers and internet connectivity that we would be making hotel reservations based on whether or not the place had free high-speed?

Today, my husband John and I are building up our Marriott points, because we know that wherever we travel in the world, we can count on getting high-speed internet access at no extra charge with our room.

And laptops today virtually always have wireless cards pre-installed, making internet access pretty well universal. When my son bought his new laptop last year, on the brief drive back from Future Shop to our home he fired it up. On that short trip, he found some eight "unsecured" (ie open) wireless signals, and was able to go online all the way home, by hopping from one to another.

Local bloggers post great locations in Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle where laptop-users can pick up strong signals.

And whole cities are becoming aware of the benefits of offering easy-access -- and even free -- connectivity. I mean, if you could book your conference in a city that could give all your delegates free internet access throughout the whole convention area, wouldn't you choose that city over another that couldn't make the same offer?

Philadelphia might be the first city to actually adopt such a policy. But according to a New York Times editorial on Tuesday, a similar plan is in the works in Chicago.

Who will be first across the finish line? For us as consumer-travellers, it is a moot point. After all, when one city goes Free Wireless, the others would be crazy not to follow suit.

Who would oppose this natural progression? Well, of course, the telcoms and internet providers will shout the loudest "nays," because free internet will cut into their profit margins. Oh, boo-hoo.

Who will profit?
The big bucks will undoubtedly be in those companies that respect the original intention of the internet, which is all about the free exchange of information and ideas. Advertisers are already flocking to the internet, instead of their traditional newspaper and television outlets, although radio is still a worthwhile medium. And radio remains strong also because it can easily adapt to the internet, too.

Also profiting will be firms that service computers, offer upgrades, and providing "bridging" items that make laptops adapt for use decoding broadcast signals, MP3s, movies, games and other forms of entertainment.

Telephonies need not apply:
But the really huge changes are already becoming apparent. In the VoIP and "Telephony" areas of communication development, big moves are afoot. Skype -- which may well have been "first in" -- has some flaws, and some price tags that could well turn off consumers. I found the sound quality to often be poor, and it has a functionality that makes it difficult to talk while the other person is talking -- much the way a speaker phone cuts out when one of you interrupts.

On the plus side, Skype does offer Skype-In and Skype-Out, which allow subscribers to talk from a computer to a land-line (a regular phone-set).

Google Talk is a free function available to anyone with a gmail account. We have found Google Talk to work much better computer-to-computer. Sound quality is excellent, and several people can all talk at once, with no cut-outs, and no static. We are looking forward to being able to talk to our parents daily this year via Google Talk, while we are in Europe this fall.

The end of the Telephone company:
So here's my prediction, for the record: Ten years from now, the telephone company, as we know and hate it, will have disappeared. We will all communicate via satellite, and virtually every part of the globe will be "in range." Communications of this sort will be free to all citizens of Earth, and that access to communication and information will have a profound affect on how we relate to each other (I'm hoping for the better, naturally). It's a Small World, after all.





Garber Rant The future of World Communications - To learn more about this author, visit Anne Garber's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback
Kim Castle
With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website

John Alexander
John has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center.
I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website

Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Anne Garber
(Visit Anne's Website) Anne Garber's media career spans 43 years in both print and electronic media, as author, publisher, photographer, columnist, broadcaster and the mother of two -- and evalu8.org's Managing Director. She has written 14 best-selling books and -- with editor John T.D. Keyes (who is also her husband) -- writes food, business and travel features worldwide; she contributes online to travellady.com and chocolate-atlas.com. The couple writes a travel column for the Culver City News and co-authored Victoria's Best Bargains, Exploring Ethnic Vancouver and Cheap Eats Vancouver. Ms. Garber has worked as both publishers' and authors' agent, and is known as the 'go-to' person in the book, magazine and newspaper publishing industries for legal opinion on North American trademark and copyright issues. A practicum in San Diego as Environmental Practice Group paralegal was followed by a return to the Pacific Northwest, where she is currently considered a leading expert on internet copyright infringement actions and online fraud investigations. Anne Garber divides her time between Vancouver, BC, Seattle, WA, Toronto, ON and Paris, France.

Anne Garber is a Platinum author on EvanCarmichael.com
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Anne Garber's

Complete
List Of
Business-Travel
Articles

Name
Email
If you enjoyed this article, get Anne Garber's Complete List of Business-Travel Articles For FREE!

More Anne Garber
Garber on Business How to lose customers through sheer stupidity
Travel Savvy Cant carryon your laptop Heres the answer
Travel Savvy Staying in touch for free or ET Call home
Travel Savvy The Big Travel Picture regarding Passports Travel Documents
Ask the Bargainshopper The 10 Commandments of Shopping
Garber on Business When did the Customer stop being King
Travel Savvy Learning to pack light
Garber on Business Selling online Help your potential customers shop online safely
Travel Savvy How to tag your suitcase to avoid lost luggage woes
Garber Rant The future of World Communications
Free Downloads


 
 
 


Evan Elite Authors
Dianne Crampton  
Casey Gollan  
Staging Diva  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Organized in 10 mins Icon Organized in 10 mins
Business Checkup Icon Business Checkup
Internet Marketing Secrets Icon Internet Marketing Secrets
Green Realestate CSS Template Icon Green Realestate CSS Template
The Leadership Edge Icon The Leadership Edge
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top Marketing Blogs of 2010
 
Top 50 Diversion Blogs
Top 50 Diversion Blogs
Top Diversion Blogs of 2009
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Francisca Ati Koforidua, Ghana,
Francisca Ati
Koforidua, Ghana
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Dana Zita, > $2.5 Mil in revenues
Dana Zita
> $2.5 Mil in revenues
Kerry Shapansky, $2.0 to $51 Mil in 5 years
Kerry Shapansky
$2.0 to $51 Mil in 5 years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Estee Lauder, Estee Lauder
Estee Lauder
Estee Lauder
Ron Popeil, Ronco
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Seth Godin, Ideavirus Author
Seth Godin
Ideavirus Author
Jeffrey Gitomer, The Sales Bible
Jeffrey Gitomer
The Sales Bible
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     Management Courses Morph into Leadership Development
By Sylvia Lafair
     Think “Systems” to Handle Conflict
By Sylvia Lafair
     ”3 Things Leaders Must Do When Stress Hits the Hot Button”
By Sylvia Lafair

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information