Last Mile: Broadband and the Next Internet Revolution
Authors: Jason Wolf, Natalie Zee
Venue:  (2000)

:"The word is broadband and companies hope the sky is the limit. "The New York Times,March 23,1999 How big is broadband? Its implementation will affect all 201 million current Internet users. The Last Mile provides the business community with the first look at this next Internet revolution. Discussing the business impact,strengths,and weaknesses of broadband in non-technical terms,managers and executives will learn how to become major players in the new digital future. From definition to implementation,The Last Mile clearly shows readers how broadband can impact their businesses for success. Here,professionals will learn: how this latest Internet buzzword actually works; the technology behind broadband; how it is likely to affect various other industries; its overall limitations and how to deal with them; and how to identify new opportunities in the market due to the evolution of broadband. Offering Internet connectivity up to 100 times faster than conventional modems,broadband is a breakthrough technology that promises to revolutionize the way we work,play,and communicate. With broadband,the Internet is no longer a linear,text-based medium,but a fully-interactive,"always-on" super medium comprising telecommunications,television,radio,even household appliances. Just how big is broadband from a strategic business perspective? Currently,more than 10,000 people a day are signing up for some type of broadband service,and that figure is sure to rise dramatically in the months ahead. Already,broadband has begun to spawn revolutionary new forms of entertainment and advertising. Soon,it will radically alter the ways in which businesses of all sizesinteract with customers and each other. According to the insiders at forward-thinking companies such as Kodak,TBWA/Chiat/Day,Columbia Tristar and other industry leaders profiled in this book,"the sky's the limit!" How can you guarantee that your company will be a major player in a broadband world? You can start by reading The Last Mile by leading Internet innovators and industry insiders Jason Wolf and Natalie Zee. The Last Mile arms business strategists and their technical staffs with their first detailed look at this rapidly emerging technology and the impact it will have on business over the next few months and for decades to come. It cuts through the hype to provide a realistic picture of broadband's vast potential,as well as its limitations. And,from definition to implementation,it clearly shows you how broadband can help your company achieve bold new levels of productivity and profits. The Last Mile fills you in on just as much as you need to know about how broadband works and the competing technologies involved. It tells you who the major players are in this nascent industry and who is likely to come out on top. It reveals which industries are most likely to be effected first by the broadband revolution and how. And,with the help of fascinating case studies,it gives you the inside scoop on companies at the leading-edge of the revolution who have already begun to exploit broadband's awesome potential. Most importantly,The Last Mile provides practical,concrete advice on what you should be doing now to guarantee that your company won't be left behind in the evolutionary leap into a broadband world. The broadband revolution has arrived. Find out how to make it work for your company in The Last Mile.