What will the Internet look like in the next 5-7 years? Thumbnail
Open Internet Standards 17 March 2016

What will the Internet look like in the next 5-7 years?

Karen Rose
By Karen RoseFormer Senior Director, Strategy & Analysis

We all know that the Internet is one of the most important tools of our time – but we can’t afford to take the Internet — or its future — for granted.

There are uncertainties facing the Internet – and how they evolve will have a profound impact on society and our ability to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.

  • How might the Internet of the future look different than today?
  • How might key trends and uncertainties unfold to create different future paths?
  • What may be at risk and what could be impacted?

To help answer these and other questions, the Internet Society is embarking on a collaborative initiative to envision scenarios for the evolution of the Internet.

We will look at the trends and uncertainties impacting the Internet’s future, the issues of greatest concern globally and regionally, how various future scenarios could impact different uses of the Internet, and recommendations for creating the future Internet we want. 

Ultimately, we hope this process will help us all better prepare for the opportunities and challenges the future may hold. 

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us through our project e-mail address at [email protected].

Disclaimer: Viewpoints expressed in this post are those of the author and may or may not reflect official Internet Society positions.

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