What does our future look like and is this what we really want? I have been speaking about and writing on this subject for many years and have been mostly ignored. In the year 2000 while everyone was having a complete meltdown over the Y2K “Bug” I was warning people about the quickly evolving interconnected “Network” of computers and servers that would eventually dictate our everyday lives. Every aspect of our lives either has become or will be so interconnected that it has become impossible for me to break this down by technology types as I have done in the past. I will make every effort to avoid theories, conspiracies, and rabbit trails that require assumptions as this series of writings will be based entirely on fact, personal knowledge and experience.
This will be a series of articles (At least 20) covering how technology is currently or will soon affect and impact our lives in general and will be loosely broken down by category. First and by far the most important in my opinion is the global data network, this has been the “Missing piece” or the bottleneck that has stymied the advancement of technological advance for the last decade or more. In this series I will cover at minimum the following topics in detail and will attempt to stay on-topic for each (Although it may not always be possible due to the interconnectivity of everything)
Just remember when we think the future is a long way off, today we are closer to the year 2050 than we are to the year 1990.
- 1: The Global Data Network
- 2: NFT’s, Digital Art & Digital Media
- 3: The Future of Currency
- 4: Augmented Reality
- 5: Quantum Principles
- 6: The Future of Advertising
- 7: Video Gaming/Entertainment
- 8: Self Driving Cars
- 9: Healthcare
- 10: Space Travel
- 11: Genetic Manipulation
- 12: Politics in The Digital World
- 13: Retail Sales and Stores
- 14: IOT (Internet of Things)
- 15: 3D/4D Printing
- 16: Farming/Food of the Future
- 17: AI, Supercomputers, Data/Server Farms
- 18: The Metaverse
- 19: Public Transportation
- 20: The Surveillance State
- 21: Biological Implants (Singularity)
- 22: Theoretically Possible Technologies
PART 1: The Global Data Network (The Datastream)
Back in 2005 I wrote “The ability for the implementation and advancement of ALL other technologies is ultimately reliant on the existence of a wireless data network with universal global coverage and near unlimited bandwidth” This still holds true today and even with all the advancements in wireless technology and high-speed internet the realistic possibility of such a network has only become a reality in the last 24 months. For the purposes of these writings I will be referring to this network regardless of control, name or ownership as “The Datastream” or simply “The Stream”
Every aspect of every current and future technology will both rely on and be an integral part of the stream. In the relatively near future we will reach a milestone of one trillion connected devices on planet earth. For reference in 2010 there were approximately 1 Billion Connected Devices, by 2015 we had almost 14 Billion, today we have approximately 105 Billion connected devices globally. The numbers are growing exponentially and there is currently no way to track or calculate the number of new devices although the current estimate is about 2.5 Million devices per hour.
This new “Data Stream” will ultimately replace all other communication mediums. In the future ALL “Communication” will happen through the stream. The stream will replace DSL, Dialup, Broadband, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, IR (Infrared), Light Beam, FM, AM, Shortwave, Cable, Fiber, Traditional satellite, Microwave, Burst, Cell tower networks, and ALL Wired communication. In 2015 I wrote “This future wireless system will likely operate on the 26-40GHz range and be almost entirely low earth orbit satellite based” The new Starlink system currently being deployed by Space-X (Elon Musk) operates on the 12-42GHz Bands and is completely low earth orbit based. While it’s possible this is only the first prototype and my not ultimately be the permanent stream it is the type of unified global network needed to implement all the future technologies currently in production.
In May of 2019 space-X launched the first 60 satellites into orbit, Space-x currently has more than 2,000 satellites in orbit with a planned 42,000 by the end of 2024. This new global network when complete will have the capacity of all current global communication systems combined. It is completely absurd to think that such a system is in development ONLY for the purpose of extending high-speed internet to previously “underserved” communities as stated by Space-X. This system or one like it will become the future of all communications.
One advantage of low earth orbit (Previously considered a disadvantage) is the fact that the earth’s gravity causes a slow yet constantly decaying orbit for the satellites. Due to decay the LEO satellites have a 3-5 year service life and ultimately burn up in the atmosphere in the end. Already Space-X is launching Gen2 Satellites and is well underway developing Gen3 units. By the time the Starlink constellation is complete they will likely be launching Gen7 units with 4x-6x the throughput capabilities compared to current versions. I also suspect the later generations will include additional technologies such as GPS, Cameras and possibly lasers to communicate between satellites. I predict by the time the ever evolving Starlink constellation is complete it will have 3x-5x the capacity of ALL current global communication systems on earth combined and likely continue to double that capacity every 3-5 years exponentially.
Most devices will connect directly to the stream but all devices will also have the ability to connect indirectly to the stream through any available connection or ANY other device that is currently connected, most devices will also have the ability to connect to numerous other devices (Perhaps 128 devices) simultaneously without affecting performance. Indeed the future we are building (or allowing) looks very different than the past and I leave it to you to decide if this will result in peace & harmony for all mankind or if the future hold oppression of expression, loss of freedom and the abolition of personal privacy.
UPDATE 02/08/2022
Space X launches batch of 49 Satellites with laser crosslink communication between units.