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VI. Future Innovation
As shown in the previous section Netflix has the ability to significantly expand its current distribution system with current technologies available. However, the near future is will yield even more possibilities as technologies continue to advance. This section will outline some of the upcoming technologies which will change the distribution possibilities of Netflix. Among these technologies will be advances in the internet, television boxes, mobile satellite services and solid state hard drives. All of these technologies will yield a new outlet for Netflix’s distribution system and thus are important environmental considerations which the company should investigate.
The first technology that will be examined is the advancement of the internet with the introduction of fiber-optic cable. Fiber-optic cables are special cables which cause total internal reflection of light. Essentially, a light signal can be past through the tube, however the light can not escape until it reaches the end of the cable. The effect of this is information that moves at the speed of light. This technology will advance Netflix’s distribution system because it increases the quality of service for the customer and lower costs for the company, through this distribution channel. The quality of the product is increased because of the speed and the high-definition capabilities of fiber-optics. Verizon, one of the pioneers of fiber-optic internet says that speeds can get up to a 50 mb/s, which is currently unheard of in traditional systems (Verizon, 2008). Providers such as Verizon and Comcas ...