User experience is the new differentiator. How will that affect the internet?

The world of business is changing, as are the locations of the people who are driving that business. How companies reach new users and how they treat them once they do will be the defining business issue of the future. Those who deliver the best user experience to a global audience will win this race will change the internet as we know it.

An improved customer experience rapidly turns negative when it’s unavailable or slow. The internet was architected with reliability in mind. Speed and performance were second-class citizens to availability (rightfully so).

How will all of this impact the internet? We will see less growth in city-to-city “backhaul” traffic and investment, and more growth in diverse investment closer to users. Inter-location investment will be dwarfed by intra-location investment.