The inventors of the internet could not have imagined the way their invention is radically transforming lives today.
In the weeks leading up to the Mobile World Congress, I was fortunate to be traveling around Europe during one of the most pleasant times of the year. From the northern lights in Swedish Lapland to Michelangelo’s masterpieces in Italy, the most memorable sight for me by far was CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, where the world’s most prominent physicists smash particles in search of answers to mankind’s ultimate quest: how did the universe – and of all us – come into existence?
The CERN visit was both eye opening and inspiring. Not only did I get to appreciate science at its most-cutting edge first-hand, it reminded me of the important fact that the World Wide Web had its humble beginning there. The net that has evolved to become today’s internet was invented by CERN scientists some two and half decades ago as a research collaboration network. The rest, as they say, is history.
From north to south in Europe, I could feel our Networked Society vision really coming to life across the continent. Internet access in public places has become ubiquitous – and mostly free of charge – with bus stops connected to provide real-time bus information and museum entry tickets now issued as QR codes on mobile devices.
My trip ended in Barcelona, the global epicenter where each year the industry meets to showcase its latest and greatest mobile, broadband and cloud technologies – like the newly-launched Ericsson Connected Traffic Cloud, which enables cars to automatically send road and traffic conditions to authorities who, in turn, can use that real-time information to better manage traffic and improve road safety.
It’s astonishing to think that the inventors of the internet at CERN could not have imagined how far their invention would come in just a quarter of a century, now embedded in virtually every aspect of what we do, radically transforming how we live. It’s even more mind-boggling to think that we’re just at the onset of this transformative Networked Society journey.
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