Apply the relevant laws and you'll have a pretty accurate idea where microprocessor performance, PC usage, display technology, fiber optic bandwidth, wireless PDAs, games, the Web, etc. will be two, three and five years from now.

FORBES: Opportunity Knocking

Some even argue in favor of nationalizing existing infrastructure, in hopes that doing so will magically build out next generation networks with unlimited mobile bandwidth and fiber optic connections to 100% of the U.S. population, whatever the cost.

FORBES: Creating a "Politics of Abundance" to Match Technology Innovation

But since 1995, that simple anatomy has given way to several separate backbones -- thousands of miles of extremely-high-bandwidth fiber-optic cable owned by the likes of Sprint, GTE, IBM, and MCI WorldCom, connecting major metropolitan areas all over the country.

CNN: What will the Internet of the future be like?

Nethercomm claims the system can provide twice as much bandwidth as a standard fiber-optic connection.

FORBES: Magazine Article

FiOS, Verizon's fiber-optic solution, and Exede, ViaSat's high-bandwidth satellite service -- two common secondary offerings -- happen to be the two frontrunners in the FCC's latest broadband performance report, which rates companies based on actual download and upload speeds compared to advertised bandwidth, among other metrics.

ENGADGET

Dozens of companies are laying fiber-optic cable around the world, leading some to talk of a looming bandwidth glut.

FORBES: A fiber niche is nice