5 ms·

In 5 years, Ethernet outlets in homes will be like telephone outlets are today: a relic of a prior generation. I don't know anyone under age 50 who still has a

• gizmo686 8y ago
  Wired connections are still needed for some professionals, and as we shift to more remote work (think remotely operating robots), the need for reliable network connections will increase. Perhaps more importantly, wireless still connects to a wired router which needs to be somewhere in the house (unless we switch to more long-distance wireless, which I don't see happening anytime soon without both technical and political advances). In my house, a major upgrade we did was install 3 additional access points, and we still have dead zones in one area because there was no Ethernet port (it would be 2, but one was a bedroom, so we ran a wire along the wall. Ugly, but bedrooms need wifi). You are certainly correct that most people won't need Ethernet ports in every room
• nitwit005 8y ago
  You need to plug your wifi in somewhere, which means it needs a cable. Many people have multiple wifi devices, which means multiple cables. And while wifi is pretty good now, people still hit issues and plug in their various TV devices and game consoles.
• closeparen 8y ago
  In the long term, it seems decently likely that the (unlicensed) spectrum will be too crowded for reliable wireless service of any kind. Urbanization and electronic communication are both on the rise; the usable bandwidth that physics has to offer isn't unlimited.