, silicon is covering the globe. Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website. GPRS Introduction Chapter 2 That phenomenon has been going on for three decades now and will be adding as much capacity in the next two years as has been created in the history of the semiconductor business. Nevertheless, the capacity is finally just getting to the point where it's interesting. Two other technologies, although less well known, are changing just as rapidly, if not more so: In optical, in the core of the network, Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM), using multiple colors of light to send multiple data streams down the same optical fiber, is disrupting the rapid growth of Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM), further pushing the envelope. Wireless capacity is also exploding, enabling higher bandwidth for voice/data without fiber (45 Mbps-up to 2.5 Gbps with certain wireless tools). Combined, these advances are making converged networks possible and inevitable, as well as important to plan for in business. Companies that understand and take advantage of this convergence will have a strategic advantage. The New Wave of Internet User During the next few years, the third-generation Internet will drive even further innovation and performance. Figure 2-2 provides a summary of the steps. It began with the first-generation Internet, which was PC-driven. During this period, standards were established and narrowband services were offered. This led to business model experimentation, new companies, and new brands. In both wireline and wireless communications, users were sat- isfied with the PC-centric services because the networks did not offer any- thing else. This led to a somewhat frustrated PC and Internet user on wireline networks, but an even greater level of frustration was evident in the wireless arena. Today, the second-generation Internet is upon us. 