Why we need gigabit networks

Gigabit networks are but one element of technological revolution, albeit a particularly important one as they will provide the glue that allows the other pieces to interact. The applications of gigabit networks that will have the widest impact will be those that rely on visual information in one form or another, in part because such applications require the higher bandwidths that gigabit networks can provide and in part because they will make the new technology useful to a much wider population of users. There are many applications of such networks that can readily be envisioned, but this technology will certainly enable many applications that cannot yet be foreseen.<>