Telecommunications and computing is full of technology that we have been involved with throughout our entire lives. It is an area of technology that we are involved and interacting with in some form pretty much every single day. This interaction and usage has grown to become necessary in our lives for us to be productive. It is an area of technology that has grown and evolved so much and will continue to do that in the future. Its growth and evolution also has evolved everything and everyone else around and involved with it as well. The overall growth and evolution within telecommunications and computing or the growth else that has been a byproduct of the change within this area of technology is endless and will continue to be such. Thus, making this an area of technology is both important but also interesting to investigate and research on.
One of the reasons for investigating telecommunications and computing is to be able to understand the evolution that has occurred in the past within it. When you think of telecommunications, the first thing that typically pops into your head is the telephone and how we communicate with it. However, it is much more complex than just communication through the phone. That being said, looking at the telephone and how it has changed over time is incredible. It is one the best examples for looking at how much technology in general has evolved around the world through the years. Being able to see where we started with Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone and how we got to the present day where we have the small smartphone that pretty much can do anything, is truly remarkable and allows us to better understand and appreciate our current smartphone devices. The telephone’s transformation is a testament to the amount of advancement but also innovative minds within telecommunication. When you think of computing you think of computers, and the process that goes on behind the scenes to get what we see on our laptop and desktop screens. Just like the telephone, we have seen how much computers and laptops have grown. They have so many more capabilities now, and the processing continues to get much faster. However, just like with telephones, we only see the finished product. Exploring this area of technology will help us understand how we got to this finished product and its capabilities even further.
Another reason for studying telecommunications and computing is the reach that it can have on many different types of industries. The world has grown so much technologically that pretty much every industry uses technology in some form. In fact, in many industries it has become necessary thus meaning that there is a strong reliance on telecommunications and computing. The collection and transferring of data and information is the core feature of this area of technology. Whether it is the government, retail, or even the education industry they all are involved with the transferring of data and information. These are very different industries, but developments within telecommunications and computing will impact all of them in different ways.
Another reason is that it can and will enable a lot of different technologies, and one of the ways it will do this is because of 5G connectivity. However, how, and why can 5G connectivity be so powerful? That is a question that we can answer through our studies. As college students we experience and use 5G through our cell phones. We have also experienced and grown up during the transition from 3G to 4G and now 5G. We have experienced the enhancements each new generation had in technology and the new technologies that were enabled. For example, 4G enabled a lot of apps that we use like FaceTime or Uber. Investigating telecommunications and computing now will allow us to see the transitions that we experienced from another perspective and with more knowledge.
Lastly, a reason for investigating telecommunications and computing is to try and stay ahead of the curve with all the technological advancements that are occurring. We do not want to be unprepared for the future, or even worse get left behind. We have said that telecommunications and computing can reach many different people and industries. Thus, meaning that the new developments and innovations that are occurring and will occur will have a huge impact. This is an impact we want to be ready for. We want to be able to “skate to where the puck is going.” We wanted to research and investigate how we went from 4G to 5G, how we went from the old telephones and computers to what we have now. While this research will help us understand past developments, it can also give us some insight into how and when developments will occur in the future. For example, by looking at the transition from 4G and 5G. which is still ongoing we can gain insight as to when will upgrade to 6G and how that process will be.
Overall telecommunications and computing is an area of technology that embodies the “think different” mentality. It has been full of growth and innovation and will continue to be so in the future. We chose to investigate telecommunications and computing because we want to further understand that growth and innovation. We want to see how it occurred in the past, what is occurring in the present, and eventually be able to be prepared and anticipate what that growth and innovation will bring in the future.
Ethical Perspective
Within the industry of Telecommunications there are multiple technological ethical dilemmas that are behind it all. The main issue being privacy when it comes to mismanagement of personal information. For example, when making online purchases and all your personal information such as your credit card, shipping address and full name is entered. Businesses then store that information and use it at a later time to hyper-personalize online experiences. However, this concept not only applies to online businesses, but it also happens when one engages in social media, completes online surveys, or searches anything in their browser, the possibilities are endless.
Attaining personal information is at every business, social media app, and other internet browsers top list. Data has become market-driven because of the value it has to these three users. For businesses, it gives them the idea of the types of products that are being searched for. While social media allows them to know the type of content people are consuming more of. Valuable data points are utilized to make money and gain a better understanding of the audience more and gear certain things towards them. For example, an unethical example is how Facebook would sell the information they gathered from its users. This shows how far people are willing to go to make money. Selling the information of individuals is not ethical especially since they are unaware and can also have the issue of identity thief and other legal matters.
5G is an internet network capable of always being on allowing almost every device and the location to be tracked and accumulate data from it. The data that is being collected ranges from the speed one is walking at, to one's heart rate, even the clothes that are being worn and the route that is taken when traveling. All the data that is collected is then sold to whichever governmental organization or service supplier is willing to purchase it. Furthermore, Nike has now decided to do just as 5G is doing and track their consumers. Nike tracks the number of sneakers that are on the move at any point in the day. With this information Nike can identify the areas that their consumers live in as well as the durability of their sneakers. Consumers are not only being tracked through their electronic devices however, but they are also being tracked through what they are wearing. Invasion of privacy has reached and all time high just to be in favor of the business.
Quantum computing brings about major ethical issues due to the fact that widespread use has not been seen. “Some experts have predicted that within a decade, quantum computers could be used by hackers and hostile nation-states to break existing encryption protocols. This would represent a major blow to a wide array of internet services, including e-commerce and other virtual financial transactions, which rely on encryption.” This has brought about the solution of crypto-agility which is the ability of organizations to quickly update their cryptographic algorithms, parameters, processes, and technologies to better respond to new protocols, standards, and security threats as they rapidly evolve. Although quantum computing is not used globally it is better to prepare in advance before any additional ethical issues are developed.
AI has brought about ethical issues that are heavily based on one's gender. When it comes to looking up information on women, women are often sexualized, and inappropriate content is mainly uploaded. However, when inputting anything regarding a man into the search engine there is little or often times no inappropriate content or disturbing images. These are two prime examples of gender bias in AI, stemming from stereotypical representations in our society. Another example of AI technology that goes against ethical reasoning is the development of self-driving cars. Self-driving cars are built to sense its surroundings and drive with no human involvement. In order for self-driving cars to be built an enormous amount of data is collected by infinite sensors surrounding the entire car all at the same time. Building a self-driving car goes through many trials and errors in order for it to be able to make the right decision in traffic situations. Moral decisions are made every day by drivers when they decide to slam on the brakes to avoid a pedestrian and put their own lives at risk. So, when it comes to a self-driving car that has broken breaks and is driving straight towards two pedestrian it is then in the hands of the car to avoid them or decide which one will be saved. This is a technological ethical dilemma that leaves humans with making decisions as well as a self-driving which in my opinion a car is not capable of making the right one.
Finally, as automation becomes more proficient, workers worry about their jobs being taken over. Since automation causes harm to both people and society, is automation ethical? If automation does take over jobs, many will struggle to survive. Meaning it will be harder to put food on the table and some will even become homeless. This also can lead to crime rates increasing, the economy will decrease, many will become ill, and morals will be thrown out the window. Although there is a small chance that automation can benefit society as a whole, “Some predict that automation could lead to a huge personal time revolution where we no longer have to work, and instead live on a universal income”. The end result is not yet clear with the addition of robots in the picture of our everyday lives. Automation is a tool and not a behaviour, so the question ‘is automation ethical’ really boils down to whether the creation and use of automation software are ethical. In the end the effects of automation on our society are all based on how we choose to use it. The moment it gets out of hand we should cut it off and not wait for the last minute when it has caused major chaos that cannot be undone.
Legal Perspective
Telecommunications and computing has huge importance throughout the world. The possibilities and opportunities that it can bring are groundbreaking. While this is a good thing, it means it needs to be monitored and regulated carefully. Technology as a whole has caused laws to be adapted and even changed, this is also the case with telecommunications and computing as well. The Federal Communications Commission is the agency that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. It was formed by the Communications Act of 1934. However, the arrival and advancement of the internet disrupted the entire world. Changes to polices and regulations need to be made to account for how the world they were regulating has changed. In order to do that the Communications Act of 1934 was amended and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was created. It brought a significant overhaul and altered the federal communications policy. The main goal of the act is to support technology and service innovation and competition from that innovation. In today's world, we have seen that competition and the innovation that comes with it. We have seen the evolution from 3G to 5G connectivity and its uses have enabled or will enable other innovative technologies like virtual reality. However, with these innovative technologies also comes new issues and questions that need to be settled legally.
One of the ways the FCC and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 encourages competition is through auctions. The FCC conducts auctions of licenses for electromagnetic spectrum. Prior to the auctions, the FCC used hearings and lotteries. The auctions are open to companies or individuals that submit an application and are deemed to be a qualified bidder by the FCC. The auctions help further encourage competition and also are a way for the government to raise large amounts of money. In 2021, the C-band auction took place, and it was a prime example of that. The auction hit over $81.2 billion in bids, the big wireless and network providers spent the most. Verizon spent the most money, spending $45.5 billion for around 3,500 total licenses. AT&T and T-Mobile were second and third, spending $23.4 billion and $9.3 billion. After the auction the companies have the licenses to implement and bring to life their ideas. However, the FCC's work does not stop there. What these companies eventually do or at least attempt to do raises questions that the FCC or other government agencies have to answer.
An example of this is what occurred with the recent dispute regarding 5G and aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long concerns about 5G and c-band, and how the 5G towers and the frequency and bandwidth used can potentially disrupt airplane altimeters. The FCC approved the 5G signals and has no concerns with them, they looked at all safety concerns. The FAA disagreed, thus causing a dispute between two major federal agencies. While it did calm down, with the FAA issuing new flight approvals. This is an example of how legal issues or situations that can occur due to the changes and developments within telecommunications. This entire dispute stems from an area of disruption, 5G, and how it is being used and implemented.
Another legal issue is how do you regulate or govern some of these technological advances that have been growing within telecommunications and computing. One of these advancements is automation; 5G will enable a lot of autonomous things like autonomous vehicles and machinery. While these advancements are indeed good and promote efficiency, but they do create questions. For example, what happens when an autonomous, self-driving car crashes? Would the liability fall on the driver or the manufacture? This a question that liable will now have to answer. In car accidents there has two actual drivers, and the liability would fall on one of the drivers. A self-driving car changes this because there is now only one driver. Is this a product liability law issue between the manufacture and the owner/driver of the self-driving car? While safety measures and testing are done by the manufactures of the self- driving cars, but crashes cans still happen. In a report done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, automakers reported nearly 400 crashes over a 10-month period involving vehicles with partially automated driver-assist systems. Thus, showing that liability law and product liability will definitely come into question and be used moving forward as autonomous vehicles continue to be produced and used by consumers.
Labor, employment, and privacy law can come into question as well. Many companies are implementing new technologies into their workplaces with the goal of making things easier and more efficient for their workforce and company as a whole. However, there are negatives affect that this implementation has on the workers. One of these negatives is that workers will have a lack of privacy and freedom. Companies will have a lot of ability to monitor the workers activity, movements, conversations even when they are off duty. For example, a worker was fired from Intermex after she unstilled an app that her employer used to track her movements 24 hours a day. Is this a wrongful termination? It is an intrusion of her privacy by her employer, but is it allowed? There is also the issue of Artificial Intelligence (A.I) discrimination when it is being used by companies of hiring. A.I usage for hiring candidates has been warned against because it can discriminate against race or even gender. For example, Amazon got rid of their AI recruiting tool because it showed bias against women. The technology within telecommunications and computing is changing the workplace. Labor, employment, and even privacy laws will be called into question and will have to change or adapt to these technological changes in the workplace so that they can be properly applied and protect the workers.
Hacking and dealing with hackers are also another legal issue that can come into play. Information and how it is and the amount that can be stored, processed, shared, and presented is big part of telecommunications and computing. New ways of how to do any of this are constantly being changed and enhanced. While this is indeed a good thing, it does open the door for more hacking and greater consequences. A lot of hackers steal card information and then take advantage of zero touch by going on spending sprees using Apple Pay or Google Pay. The more technological advancements that are made that are involved with important data and information, the more risk and chance of hacking there is. The Anti-Hacking laws need to be prepared for the new levels of hacking that we will see going forward as there is no doubt that their will continue to be more technological innovation. The same can be said for all the laws as well. The constant changes with telecommunications and computing will call a lot of types of laws into question in ways they have not been questioned before. They will need to be applied in ways that they haven’t been before as well. Whether it is the Telecommunications Act or Privacy Law, it is clear that they will have a huge role to play as telecommunications and computing continues to grow and advance more in the future.
Social Perspective
The future of telecommunications and computing is promising for society. 5g will lead to an improvement in wireless technology. This new technology promises greater capacity, faster speeds, and lower latency. Wide-ranging benefits of 5G include improvements in public safety, transportation, healthcare, and other fields. All of these things are incredible, and other areas are heading the same way. Things are changing in so many ways. Edge computing will advance besides networks like 5G and AI. Telecommunications and computing aren’t about a specific area nor just about solving one specific problem. It’s a framework for innovation and amazing things are coming. Technology developments can assist us in predicting and preventing widespread damage. To conserve our resources and halt climate change, the world will now require computing solutions. Farming in dry areas is possible with the use of drip monitoring and measurement systems. Food production is becoming more eco-friendly. The yields of genetically modified crops can be dramatically increased, and as we learn how to make the most of our crops, we need less land to produce the same amount of food. There are even companies like Vantiq making sure that the environment is being protected and reminding other companies to do the same. Companies' carbon emissions can be better tracked and managed with the help of technologies like sensors, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and next-generation data analysis on the edge. Companies can reduce resource and energy waste by becoming more efficient. These technologies could help businesses prepare for natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and forest fires. Companies are becoming more aware of problems that impact the environment and how technology can advance in finding solutions for these problems.
The goal of AR development is also sustainability. Artificial intelligence and augmented reality have also been combined, and this has resulted in numerous breakthroughs in a variety of fields. Although the effects of climate change cannot be reversed, they can be lessened by technologies like these. Utilizing AR technology to protect the environment has many advantages, one of which is that it doesn't require physical presence. Technologists have been developing designs that offer a virtual-real experience, reducing carbon emissions to a certain extent and, in the long run, having a significant impact on a wide range of people. Recently, the Carbonfund.org Foundation and Accenture Technology announced their collaboration on the creation of EmissionVision. In order to help people, make more environmentally friendly decisions, Emission Vision visualizes the amount of carbon footprint that is currently present in the environment. It is a special app that aids in calculating the climate impact based on the quantity of trees necessary to offset an individual's total carbon footprint. AR has recently demonstrated its power in the manufacturing industry, enabling improvements in the manufacturing processes. Augmented reality can help manufacturers increase production efficiency by lowering production errors and iterations. Augmented reality is used by businesses like Lockheed Martin, Ford, and Boeing to fast track their product development and reduce time to market. Efficiency in production allows for sustainability because it uses fewer resources and produces less waste. The future of sustainability is now.
Modern personal health technology is capable of gathering information from every part of the body and relaying your results. The edge software has enabled numerous advances in healthcare. Medical technology will advance to the point where it can detect more aspects of your body and respond appropriately in real-time. The device will be able to call emergency services and respond to heart attacks. Also monitoring, non-invasive response to cancer cells, vital sign response, and electrolyte imbalance notification. In addition to real-time applications, there are advantages to gathering individual health data with an AI lens. Apple Watch is a perfect example of a device that tracks health data and is improving along the way. Apple just released their latest watch, series 8. Additionally, the new watch has added a few new features this year. A temperature sensor that is integrated into the device provides women with additional health-related information. The features they had previously were only heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen detection, ECG readings, sleep tracking, fall detection, and loud noise monitoring. To ensure that everyone is well taken care of for the future, areas in telecommunications and computing are improving. Since everyone's health is important. Intelligent thinking is essential to telecommunications, computing and improving lives, and the environment is a part of that.
Quantum computing can do a lot in the healthcare field for professionals as well. Quantum computers function entirely differently from conventional computers. It is predicated on probability and process uncertainty. Qubits are used in quantum, and they can be 0, 1, or both. Utilizing the computers' capacity to direct operations as well as carry out analysis and solutions at superspeed will be one sure application once quantum computing reaches a more practical stage. The times for drug development and implementation are impacted by the slow and expensive trial processes that plague the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. AI, machine learning, and other concepts already exist. However, quantum computing is a step above and drastically reduces research and experimentation. Parkinson's cancer and other deadly diseases that claim so many loved ones will soon have answers thanks to quantum computing. Quantum computing can enable a brand-new kind of experimentation and testing that is not currently possible due to the limitations of the existing technology, even though testing on living organisms and cells is one way to speed up advancements in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Researchers from Nature Biotechnology are already conducting cancer research in Europe. The 27-qubit quantum computer will be used by the researchers to test for practical applications thanks to Europe's most powerful commercial quantum computers from IBM and the Fraunhofer society. In order to create and test algorithms that might be used to categorize cancer patients, they will also collaborate with physicists and computer scientists. This is only the beginning; soon, the power of technology will enable us to find a remedy for every problem. Telecommunications and computing are developing for a greater purpose in order to guarantee that the world and its citizens can live long, healthy lives. The damage that has already been done to the world cannot be undone, but we can make improvements to prevent further harm.
Political Perspective
The Biden-Harris Administration launched the Internet for all Initiative, which will invest $45 billion to provide affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for everyone in America by the end of the decade. This is administered and implemented by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The programs will build internet infrastructure, teach digital skills, and provide necessary technology to ensure that everyone in America has the access and skills they need to fully participate in today’s society. The NTIA released a new workforce planning guide for states to use when planning high-speed Internet deployment projects. The high-speed Internet deployment and digital equity projects funded through the Biden-Harris administration’s Internet for All initiative will create over 150,000 of good-paying jobs. To ensure that states have the necessary workforce to deploy high-speed Internet projects, the guide is a resource and offers strategies to develop a highly trained, diverse workforce that can safely do their jobs and connect everyone in America to high-speed internet. The Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program contains workforce requirements that grant recipients and subgrantees must meet when implementing projects. The workforce guide is part of the NTIA’s obligation to provide technical assistance to those entities needed to meet the workforce requirements and promote a skilled workforce. The guide may also be helpful for entities participating in other Internet for All programs like the Digital Equity Planning Grant program and the Middle Mile program.
“High-speed internet is no longer a luxury-it's a necessity.” Too many families must go without high-speed internet due to the costs or having to cut back on other essentials to make their monthly internet service payments. President Biden’s top priority is to lower the prices of high-speed internet services. The Biden-Harris Administration secured commitments from 20 internet providers to cut prices and increase speeds. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the President and Vice President worked with Democrats and Republicans to create the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This allows millions of American households to reduce their internet service costs by up to $30/month or $75/month on Tribal lands. To ensure the most efficient use of those public dollars and to deliver maximum cost savings to families, the Biden-Harris administration secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers that cover more than 80% of the U.S. population across urban, suburban, and rural areas, which includes nearly 50% of the rural population. They have agreed to either increase speeds or cut prices, making sure they can offer ACP-eligible households high-speed, high-quality internet plans for no more than $30/month. From larger providers such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon serving dozens of states, to smaller providers serving rural areas like Jackson Energy Authority in Tennessee and Comporium in North Carolina, the commitments will allow ACP-households to receive high-speed internet at no cost. The administration views a sufficiently high-speed plan as one that offers downloaded speeds of at least 100 megabits per second everywhere the provider’s infrastructure is capable of. In addition, the administration asked providers to offer such plans with no fees and data caps. For example, as part of this initiative, Verizon lowered the price for its Fios service from $39.99/month to $30/month for a plan that delivers download and upload speeds of at least 200 megabits per second. Spectrum has doubled the speed of the $30/month plan it makes available to ACP participants from 50 to 100 megabits per second. The Biden-Harris Administration is grateful for the efforts of the participating companies and encourages additional internet service providers to join this effort to close the digital divide.
The Biden Administration unveiled a proposed budget for the government’s 2023 fiscal year which contained more than $600 million in funding for broadband. This money is meant to help achieve the administration’s goal of connecting every citizen. The budget requests $28.5 billion in funding for the Department of Agriculture (USDA). This figure includes $600 million for the agency’s ReConnect program, which offers loans and grants to help operators cover underserved parts of the country. The budget total also includes another $25 million for the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Program to help rural telecommunications cooperatives refinance their debt and upgrade their facilities. If passed, this would build on the $2 billion allocated to the RUS in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) from November 2021. According to its website, ReConnect has distributed a total of $1.5 billion to date via its first two funding rounds.
The budget also includes other telecom-related expenditures that are less focused directly on broadband deployments than the allocation for the USDA. There is $350 million allocated to expand reliable and affordable internet access through the development and deployment of secured digital and technological infrastructure. It also requests $11.7 billion for the Department of Commerce to complement major investments in broadband Internet access and climate resilience made by the IIJA. This includes $13 million for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to conduct research and engineering of cutting-edge advanced communications systems. And lastly, the budget seeks $880 million for the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships to speed up development of technology in key areas, which includes advanced communications.
Next Generation Telecommunications Act is a bill that temporarily establishes the Next Generation Telecommunications council to “advise Congress on 6G advancements and other advanced wireless communications technologies, including the use of such technologies for smart cities or communities.” The council will look at past actions related to advancing wireless communication deployment and develop a strategy with recommendations on how the government can support the adoption of 6G. The council will need to consider issues such as the workforce needed to support 6G deployment and network security. They will develop a variety of recommendations which includes on: the development and adoption of 6G and other advanced wireless technologies, assessment of roles and responsibilities within the federal government, research and development into standards for 6G, and the promotion of international cooperation. They will need to ensure digital inclusion and equity in access to such technologies for communities of color, underserved communities, and rural communities.
Net neutrality is the principle that Internet Service providers (ISPs) treat all data on the Internet the same, and not discriminate. This has been an issue between network users and access providers since the 1990s. With net neutrality, ISPs may not intentionally block, slow down, or charge money for specific online content. Without net neutrality, ISPs may prioritize certain types of traffic, meter others, or potentially block traffic from specific services, while charging consumers for various tiers of service. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) spent years, under both the Bush & Obama administrations trying to enforce net neutrality protections. After a series of legal defeats at the hands of broadband providers, the FCC passed a net neutrality order in 2015. Eventually, in 2017, a Republican-controlled FCC voted to revert that order, which allowed broadband providers to block or throttle content as they see fit unless Congress or the courts block the agency’s decision. As part of an executive order issued in July 2021, President Joe Biden called for the FCC to undo some of the Trump-era changes. He encouraged the FCC to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules and to take other measures to promote broadband connection. This includes asking the FCC to require broadband companies to provide transparency on pricing. The Biden administration sees a lack of competition as a major problem perpetuating the digital divide and sees reinstating the rules adopted in 2015 as a major policy objective to ensure big broadband companies are not abusing their power over their networks.
Effect on Other Topics
Telecommunications and computing has such a huge reach that it will affect so many other areas of our world. Some of these areas are other topics that our classmates have researched. For example, one of those topics is news and information, and that always relies heavily on both telecommunications and computing. News companies always want to get the information out as fast as possible and too as many people as possible and telecommunications and computing helps them do that. 5g allows people to search quicker and get updates faster. Telecommunications and computing is also changing how news and information is presented to the world as well. It gives news companies unique ways to share information but also gives us readers a new way to be able to learn and understand that information. An example of this is the use of Augmented Reality for news stories. Newspapers like USA Today have used AR to allow audiences dive deeper into stories. It will also help with the overall climate as well. 5G will increase efficiency and the use of technology. Thus reducing this use of gases in the environment and thus reducing our overall carbon footprint.
Synthetic biology, AgTech & Biotech will rely heavily on 5G in the future. 5G and eventually 6G connectivity will enable a lot of machinery and robots that are used or that want to be used or created in the future. Quantum computing will also enable this as well. We talked about this in the legal issues section, but the developments made within telecommunications and computing will raise a lot of questions towards the topic policy, government, and security. How will these new technological developments be governed and regulated? Especially if there is an issue caused by those developments, are new policies or laws made? Security is a big issue and a question mark going forward. Privacy is always a big topic, protecting our information and data on the internet is a difficult task already. But throughout telecommunications and computing there is a constant push towards increasing the amount of data and information we can store and transfer and how we go about doing that. Thus, meaning that security and our privacy will be at more risk. While technological developments do make it easier for us consumers, it makes it easier for hackers to steal information as well. Thus, meaning that technological security and privacy will have to continue to adapt and respond to the innovation within our area of technology.