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What is the ‘Internet of Things?’

HARTFORD  – There is a growing universe of consumer products dealing with devices and sensors that talk to each other over the web, called the “Internet o...
HARTFORD  - There is a growing universe of consumer products dealing with devices and sensors that talk to each other over the web, called the “Internet of Things.” It is the advanced connectivity of devices, systems and services which have the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

Today, there are new technologies that make everyday living smarter, better and more convenient. From live streaming video with a Dropcam Wi-Fi camera, to home energy monitoring and savings with devices such as the Nest Learning Thermostat. We have wearable computers, smart health trackers, connected smoke detectors and light bulbs, washers and dryers that use Wi-Fi for remote monitoring, and many other Internet-connected devices that aren't a mobile phone, tablet, or traditional computer.

A “thing” can be a person with a heart monitor implant, a farm animal with a biochip transponder, an automobile that has built-in sensors to alert the driver when tire pressure is low, or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an IP address and provided with the ability to transfer data over a network.

This technology is expected to generate large amounts of data from diverse locations that is aggregated and very high-speed, thereby increasing the need to better index, store and process such data.

It will result in broadband being fragmented, partitioned and dedicated to the specific applications.

At the same time, the future of TV should really more broadly be considered the evolution of entertainment content, which will allow us to consume/view the content we want, when we want, where we want and on the device we want.

That content can come to you in a traditional way (through providers distributing content through cables, satellite, etc.); over the Internet; over the air via antenna, or over the top (not a traditional source, i.e. YouTube).

Over-the-top content doesn’t involve system operators that control content or distribution. It’s audio, video, and other media delivered over the Internet. Examples would be Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, etc.

So the way to describe the future of TV is that you will choose the specific device that you want your content to come from, and where and when you access it. The viewer/user will control the when, where and how entertainment will take place

We do much of this already, but in the future we will control it even more. Like video clips over your smartphone while waiting in an airport; selecting the shows you want to watch on your laptop in your hotel room when you’re traveling; watching a Netflix movie on your big screen TV from the comfort of your living room.

Ken Arndt; President, Eastern Region Of Frontier Communications

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