With YouTube, Facebook and Twitter part of daily life, it’s easy to forget things like dial-up that, as recently as 10 years ago, were considered “new technologies”.  With these new and emerging technologies, it is no surprise the number of Internet users is up significantly over the past decade or so.  USA Today reports:

According to a new report by the Census Bureau, Internet use tripled from 1997 to 2007.  Sixty-two percent of U.S. households used the Internet from home; 18% did that in 1997.  Among those using the Internet in 2007, 82% did so using a high-speed connection. Just 17% used dial-up.

While the way people access the Internet may change significantly, there is little question use will continue to rise with increased access to these new technologies. From USA Today:

The rapid rise of broadband shows how quickly a ubiquitous technology like dial-up, which ruled the online world in the 1990s, can become outmoded, says Morton O’Kelly, chairman of Ohio State University’s department of geography.

As technology evolves, Internet access increases and the number of users continues to climb, managing capacity on Internet networks will be even more critical to ensure a robust and efficient system for everyone.

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