Earlier this year, Ofcom published some new research on our entertainment habits which revealed a staggering generational divide with under-35s moving away from terrestrial and cable to streaming services.
Streaming is already huge business and, with so many platforms, it can feel as though we’ve hit a saturation point. However, the reality is we are at the start of an entertainment revolution which will see technology – such as VR and interactive storytelling – fundamentally alter what we perceive TV to be, forever.
The problem is video streaming consumes large volumes of data and already nearly half of UK homes have a subscription to at least one of Amazon, Netflix or Now TV. Therefore, we’re working to provide full fibre connectivity across Portsmouth, ensuring future proof, gigabit capable, ultra-reliable internet for all.
One of the biggest changes in the way we think about TV is the introduction of interactive programming like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch which Netflix launched in 2018. A few years ago, live streaming something as ambitious as Bandersnatch would have been unimaginable. Now it, and other technologies like Virtual Reality, are fully realised ways to tell stories. Coupled with the maturation of haptic technology, meaning that soon we won’t just be able to live inside our TV shows, we’ll be able to touch and feel them too.
New media technologies like this are going to irrevocably change what we think of as TV over the next decade, but only if the infrastructure is in place to allow it. Currently, much of the UK has legacy copper networks which simply aren’t fast or reliable enough to handle our demand for entertainment.
The answer to this conundrum is full fibre – something which CityFibre is investing in bringing to cities across the UK, including Portsmouth.
To find out more about the work that CityFibre is doing in Portsmouth to provide full fibre, please go to cityfibre.com/your-street
