The 10 ways life would be different without broadband

Most of us think of the internet as existing “virtually,” yet cyberspace requires a physical infrastructure that is mostly hidden from view. And it requires workers to go under city streets to tie things together. They run fiber-optic cables—incredibly thin strands of glass that carry the super-fast data signals providing high-speed internet, or “broadband,” service—and connect them underground to commercial buildings. There are many things that wouldn’t be the same without broadband. Here’s a look at 10 things broadband has brought to, or changed about, the world:

1. Driving
2. Watching
3. Wandering
4. Gaming
5. Snooping (and planting and inspecting and delivering)
6. Learning
7. Flying
8. Listening
9. Reading
10. Eating