Rapid Growth of the Internet

Rapid Growth of the Internet

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Rapid growth of the Internet

The internet can be described as a collection of networks from around the globe with each network operating independently. It was developed as an experiment by the United States Department of Defense to develop computer networks that could withstand nuclear attacks in the early 1960s. However, the internet became widespread later from 1970. The internet is managed by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to avoid duplication of addresses allocated to each network, which are usually different from of each other (Graham.1999). The internet has been the main driver of economic success in global economies, such as Japan and United States. The internet has enabled the creation of a global village, such that people from different parts of the world are able to communicate with each other and in the process share ideas, exchange information and conduct business. Exchange of ideas amongst people and competition between computer developers to come up with new ideas enabled the advancement of technologies. Thus, in general new technology in regards to communication modes have been developed by people from different parts of the world. Such events enhanced the growth of the internet as different people explore new ideas for advancing the internet. In the 21^st century, there have been significant advancements in technology and the internet, making the internet almost a necessity in the current age.

The use of the internet has had one of the most significant effects on the human race; it has facilitated easy, fast and reliable forms of communication such as through emails, social networks and teleconferencing done via the internet, the latter have been adopted early this decade (Windeatt, Hardisty, and Eastment.2000). This improved communication among individuals and business entities alike due to the advancements in technology and other forms of communication such as emails and social media that are accessed via the internet. The growth of the internet can be mainly attributed to the fact that people are becoming more technology savvy than in the past. This has created a larger demand for internet related products, such as laptops and Smart phones, forcing existing and new manufacturers to explore new markets in foreign countries. The internet has made a shift in the way businesses conduct their day-to-day operations such as marketing and service delivery. Most of the businesses in the current market have shifted from the normal physical centers in offices to online-based offices. This enables a person who requires a certain product be able to get the service directly from the internet without the need to move physically to their premises to access such services. Such business models are being adopted also by governments to ease transactions such as payments, enquiries and other operations that do not require physical representation to an office and thus attract investment from local and international investors. This enables the business to be able to target a larger market niche both locally and internationally at the same time keeping the operating costs at a minimum.

Internet growth can also be attributed to the fact that, due to the large numbers of people currently having access to the internet from different providers, has reduced  the cost of accessing internet services; thus, it becomes attractive to potential internet users to seek access via the different internet providers. Due to its lucrativeness to investors, provision of internet services and other related data services has attracted far more than the expected numbers of investors. Thus, in their efforts to attract as many consumers as possible, they have brought about price wars, which have drastically reduced the cost of accessing the internet. This has brought a large population into the bracket of those who have access to the internet regularly, irrespective of their levels of incomes. Companies involved in data business which is usually conducted via the internet, have been growing at supernormal rates, giving numerous unemployed youths the employment that has become more elusive than ever. Skilled employees are also able to seek alternative employment  and pursue the dreams of being self employed. This comes with great responsibilities, but the fruits are rewarding in terms of the profits and the satisfaction of self employment. New businesses require permits and other licenses to begin operations; this provides the governments with the much-needed revenue to finance their development agendas.

The internet has brought about innovations into the communications industry. New mobile applications are being developed every day with the younger population as the target market. This encourages competition among software developers to come up with new products for the dynamic market, as each developer tries to stay relevant in the industry. Such applications enable ease into accessing specific internet social sites that are usually frequented by the majority young population. In such social sites, various businesses are able to get a platform for advertising their products, especially for businesses whose target market are technology savvy individuals regardless of their ages. Social sites enable easy and fast communication between individuals at different locations. The growth of the internet has taken research into a whole new level. Individuals are able to do research on their own with access to the internet to get all the information needed, so the internet would best be described as a library for all sorts of referencing material, for any purpose.

The internet has enabled the introduction of new methods of learning (Windeatty, Hardisty, Eastment, 2000). Individuals who do not have the time to attend classes are able to take lessons from the comfort of their computers. This model of learning is facilitated by the use of the internet, such that the learner is able to receive learning material from the lecturer via the internet. After completing the assignments, the student is able to give back correspondence so that the lecturer can know the level of progress attained by the learner. Students from all over the world are able to communicate with each other in a fast and cheap way that was never possible before the existence of the internet. This enables sharing of ideas and helping out each other and working in-group tasks or projects. It also helps to introduce individuals to new social worlds where they can interact with people from different backgrounds, races, religions, sex, thus, they are able to learn more about other cultures and thus, eliminate any prejudices that they might have held against certain issues regarding that culture. It has also given a voice to the voiceless and oppressed by giving them a platform to voice their opinions without fear of reprisal attacks thus it is a source of democracy (Graham 1999).

The growth of the internet has brought new ways doing things. New broad bands are being developed to facilitate the movement of large volumes of data traffic in the networks due to the large number of internet users. Such broad bands have the capability of enabling internet access via digital television sets, which are being developed to enable compatibility with modems to enable internet access directly from the television sets. Health institutions have established online sites, and they are offering vital information regarding health issues, which at times do not warrant visits to the nearest health facilities. They are also partnering with insurance firms to enable patients to access and renew insurance policies via the internet (Kahin and Keller 1996). In addition, individuals usually access the internet to find diagnosis for issues pertaining to their health, such convenience and ease in finding health solutions did not exist before the presence of the internet. This goes to show the extent to which the internet has had a direct, lasting and positive impact in the lives of majority of the population in the world, especially those with access to the internet. The internet has generally simplified tasks that previously consumed time and money in executing them and reduced the barrier of communication between people around the world.