One Internet? Not Likely
October 4, 2018
Some relationships are not made to last, but I never thought the Internet would break up with itself. I bet you are scratching your head wondering how the Internet could split apart, but the fault is one Asian country. Behind the Great Fire Wall, China could be working on its own Internet. Business Insider wrote that, “Google’s Ex-CEO Eric Schmidt Says The Internet Will Split In Two By 2028.”
Schmidt stated that by 2028, China will have their own version of the Internet. China does not like the western Internet and has a very powerful firewall that blocks unsavory Web sites. Schmidt believes the future Internet will be divided into the Chinese-led Internet and then the American-led Internet. Schmidt had this to say:
“If you look at China, and I was just there, the scale of the companies that are being built, the services being built, the wealth that is being created is phenomenal. Chinese Internet is a greater percentage of the GDP of China, which is a big number, than the same percentage of the US, which is also a big number. If you think of China as like ‘Oh yeah, they’re good with the Internet,’ you’re missing the point.
Globalization means that they get to play too. I think you’re going to see fantastic leadership in products and services from China. There’s a real danger that along with those products and services comes a different leadership regime from government, with censorship, controls, etc.”
The US is the world’s technology leader, but China has been ramping up its game since the early 2000s. China is on the verge of becoming a technological leader and could rival the US, especially in AI. The US appears to be the only option for the Internet, but if China creates its own Internet, other countries might adopt it.
This could be a big game changer in the world. The US has controlled many markets since World War II and China, probably will not topple them, but could be a strong rival.
Whitney Grace, October 4, 2018
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