It can be easy for many to forget and take for granted just how much technology has changed the entire world for the better. Many commonplace features that form an everyday part of human interaction and life were not possible for the majority even just a decade or two ago. Now, with technology still improving, and the relative affordability of these gadgets coming down markedly, the world is better connected than ever.
Mobile phones used to be these gigantic things that just had the ability to make a simple phone call; nowadays, their ubiquity is ever-increasing, and this brings so many possibilities for global communication.
According to current estimates, there are some 3.7 billion unique mobile phone connections around the world, meaning that more than half of the entire planet is connected, if somewhat loosely at this stage. As more and more people gain access to these technologies, people are able to communicate further afield than they previously could have imagined. Large numbers of people are now able to host video calls on their phone, something that may have seemed like a distant reality not so long ago.
There is also an increase in Wi-Fi connectivity worldwide, and many major cities have been introducing so-called hotspots to allow people on the move to stay connected.
It is now no longer a strenuous task to get hold of relatives on the other side of the world, aside from obvious time zone differences. That said, being able to have a video call with people so many thousands of miles away is a huge improvement on a crackly phone line. The advancement of quality that has been shown over the past decade or so is astonishing enough, but when it is extrapolated forwards, the potential is even greater for making further inroads in the coming decade.
Such forward movement in terms of this technology has really helped many places bring everything together, especially those unfortunately devastated by war. Many good people have managed to utilize this availability of resources to help rebuild war-torn regions. One such example is the work that Ehsan Bayat has done in Afghanistan to reconstruct the telecommunications systems of the country so that people can be connected again and help continue the great work already done in redeveloping affected areas.
Although most people would likely consider communication to specifically revolve around conversations between friends, family, and so on, the new technology has allowed people to be connected in even more ways. Mobile banking is a great example, allowing financial transfers to take place over text message in areas that do not yet have sufficient internet connectivity. Finding ways to keep everybody in the loop and bring them into the current communicative sphere so many people worldwide operate in allows new ideas to come to the fore from previously non-connected areas.
As well as banking, many industries have found effective solutions using available technology to bridge current gaps that prevent people from getting ahead as they would like. In agriculture, for example, it can be difficult to grow a surplus if there is no way of communicating that it exists. Mobile technology allows for the message to be sent out, and people can come together to find appropriate solutions to utilize harvests in the best way and make it more beneficial for everyone involved.
Some of these developments are the most exciting in terms of improving lives worldwide, and it is exciting to see what lies around the corner as we become more connected and find new ways to help each other.