I was prompted to write a very short piece on McKinsey in response to the premise What Shape Will The Wireless Web Take?
My comments may or may not be published so I'll put a few thoughts out here for consideration, as it really will have an effect on the way we do things. I've left out all the acronyms and apps and make it simple, although it is hardly that behind the scenes.
Some important aspects of my view of the future are that it will lead to less consumption of resources and wasted plastic, paper etc and all the energy and labour that goes into making and moving them.
I think Wireless Web will be peer to peer with hop-off points to intercontinental fibre links and back out peer to peer.
Riding to work on the bus, your device which picked up most of what you'll want to peruse on the way before you left - using your more powerful home system. As you move around your device will pic snippets of everything you are interested in from those around
you. Your content is shared with any and everyone on your bus, or even a passerby. At the same time it picks up things from the other passengers until you are all synced according to your tastes (and even with the bus itself).
At home when you download a movie all your neighbors and their neighbors may participate in routing your snippets (or packets) to your wireless system. The movie may only be coming from your neighbour a few blocks away.
This is closer than you imagine and will spread like wildfire once manufacturers gear up. The business model for telco's may well revert to plumbing.
Some content will be transmitted transparently or encrypted. Other content will be 'live' connected or a mixture with a common method of activation or payment. It will be up to individual creators to determine their packaging or have it done for them by a third
party, perhaps the payment processor.
Transport operators may become broadcasters with Hollywood wooing bus companies to get their blockbuster into your hands on your way home from work.
Content providers will have to be flexible. Just because you have a movie on your device does not mean you will actually watch it. The content provider will want to make sure you have it as quickly and as easily as possible if they get the chance. This might
mean that a new Hollywood Blockbuster is distributed to every device that will accept it and only those who watch it actually pay. (Don't make the mistake the record companies made.)
When it comes to paying for that content - I'm pretty confident you'll eventually have to come to me to find out how to make it all work for you.