While the internet has caused its share of change and upheaval over the past decade, Cerf believes we've only scratched the surface. Not only is a relatively small percentage of the world's population — about a quarter — currently using the internet, but the primary method of accessing it is quickly transforming. That means the coming decade will bring further big changes.
"A large fraction of the world's population may have their first experience, and possibly their only experience, with the internet by way of mobiles simply because the cost factors are so attractive," he says. "It's a very important avenue for internet access, and that's new in the last decade."
With internet-enabled smartphones taking off, many more users will come online over the next decade, which will affect some of the trends we're seeing today. While it may seem like the internet is becoming more locked down, with industries such as newspapers and music cracking down on free content, an influx of users — particularly from developing countries — could restore that equilibrium.
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