R
emember the days of waiting impatiently for the dial tone to connect you to the internet? Those days are long gone and today if it's not high speed, we don't want it. Our obsession with high-speed internet has companies battling to offer the best deals to customers. The question is, why can't we live without high-speed internet?
Entertainment
TV isn't as popular due to streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Video. People spend hours watching their favourite shows and high-speed internet is central to the viewing experience. If it runs low then the video will have to buffer, which leaves people feeling frustrated.
There's also live TV from around the world available and plenty of music to download. If the internet speed is low then it affects the download speed, as well as how many websites you can access. Most people use the internet for leisure, so companies make a lot of money offering high-speed packages.
Shopping
The high-street suffered due to the e-commerce boom. Companies like Amazon, eBay, and even small businesses find they get a lot of online customers. It's easy to sit at home and browse popular items, without having to step outside. However, slow internet speeds can put people off shopping online. There can be issues with losing service during payments, or it taking too long to process a payment.
Working
Workplaces need high-speed internet to help productivity. If the speeds are low, then people won't be able to keep up with their duties. It's also hard to keep staff motivated when they have to constantly wait for pages to load or files to send. Most offices won't function well without high-speed internet, which is why companies offer cheap high-speed internet for businesses.
Completing Backups
Backups are important to protect important data and an essential part of storing files. Slow internet speeds significantly impact backing up data and sometimes the process can stop which means people have to start over again.
Studying
People rely on the internet to complete homework, research and do online courses. The number of home study students has increased dramatically and high-speed internet is vital. Many students watch lectures online and teachers regularly set homework where internet access is needed.