It's underwhelming for what we have now, but Google isn't running Google Fiber to allow a bunch of teenagers to download 1080p movies in seconds, it's running a

It's underwhelming for what we have now, but Google isn't running Google Fiber to allow a bunch of teenagers to download 1080p movies in seconds, it's running a network that will serve as a testbed of things that currently require too much bandwidth and couldn't be done with your usual DSL connection. Youtube couldn't exist in 1993 not only because average computers couldn't cope with video, but because internet connections, where they existed, were too slow. Even Facebook, with pictures, video and quick jumping from pages to pages, couldn't exist. The big thing of 2023 hasn't been invented yet, but it will require more than 10 Mbps. For instance, lately I've noticed that when I'm reading a Wikipedia entry, I search Youtube for things that are mentioned in the article. This has improved my experience greatly. Say I'm reading the article about a man called Billionaire McPennybags. In the past, I'd read this bit of trivia: "In 1993, Billionaire McPennybags made an appearance in a late night TV show, where he accused Veryrich O'Inheritance of stealing his idea for a egg toaster". Now, I can search YouTube for 'mcpennybags egg toaster veryrich' and I can watch video of the interview and of the ensuing controversy. It's a (very) dumb example, but in the next decade we'll find ways to use our spare megabits and something better will appear.