A recent vacation left me with a new appreciation for my company and the industries we support. Let me explain.
My husband and I celebrated a belated anniversary with a trip to Las Vegas. When we landed at McCarran International Airport, we used Uber to get to our resort. I then changed my location in the Groupon and Living Social apps to see what deals we could find during our stay. We took the shuttle bus to other hotels and casinos, did some shopping, ate lunch, then headed back to our room to watch our son’s championship baseball game on GameChanger (an app that allows you to keep score and watch games through a live play feature). After the game, we chatted via FaceTime with our son to congratulate him on the game. All this time, I’m wearing my Fitbit and checking hourly to see if I’m getting enough steps to qualify for my company’s virtual 5K.
Later in the week, we again took Uber to get our rental car. We stepped up to a kiosk at Hertz where our agent, on a video screen from who knows where, helped us get our car. We then headed off to visit the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. On our way, I turned on Waze to get directions and check for any possible police action (my husband may not always look at the posted speed limit).
At the Grand Canyon, we used FaceTime with our kids to show them the sites and then drove to the Grand Canyon Village to eat dinner. We walked up to one of the several kiosks to order and pay. Our order number was displayed on a screen when dinner was ready.
After a busy week, I used the American Airlines app to check into our flight back home and used my phone with my mobile boarding pass to go through security and get on the plane. Our entire trip was documented with photos and videos posted immediately to our social channels and on iCloud.
My realization was that our world has changed even since our last vacation. We didn’t need brochures for Vegas shows and attractions. We didn’t need a Rand McNally book of maps for our drive. We didn’t have to print copies of our hotel or flight reservations. We didn’t have to use the room phone every night to call and say goodnight to our kids. We communicate differently now. We are a connected society. And it will only get more connected as our kids get older.
This underscored to me the need for communication networks that are reliable, fast and affordable—all because I wanted to get information anytime and anywhere, and communicate via video, apps, or text with my kids and other family members.
I am part of the generation known as Gen X. I’ve seen the transition from 8-track to CD to iTunes and Spotify. I remember black and white TV, the beginning of MTV and the introduction of Netflix. I’ve seen the transition from items on a desk to an app on a smartphone. There is so much more to come, and the networks that support new communications are key to supporting my kids and the rest of Gen Z.
That is why I am excited about the work that CommScope is doing with service providers and enterprises to create networks that support us now and in the future.
