Intermediate/Advanced italki Student Activity - Fast Internet Connection The other day I was walking around town and saw an open manhole, and next to it were two large rolls of copper wire and fibre-optic cable. It seems that my local telephone company are upgrading the communication infrastructure in town. This always makes me smile because I’m addicted to the Internet, and I very much wish that I could have the same speeds at home that my students in Seoul, Moscow, Barcelona, or London have. 10Mb ADSL connections seem very slow when you use Skype for video calls. There are several advantages of faster Internet using fibre-optic connections, including more jobs, more innovation, better healthcare, better education, more entertainment, stronger democracy, better social connections, and much more. Organisations like the World Bank, European Commission, and United Nations all agree that faster Internet creates jobs and improves our society. Next week I’ll be calling my service provider again to see if fibre-optic is available in my street, and if it is, I’ll be requesting an upgrade. Murphy’s Law says I won’t get my upgrade. Intermediate Activity: Describe (150 words) the Internet connection that you have at home, mentioning how you connect, your speed, the hardware you use, how you use the Internet, and if having the Internet has improved your life. What would you be able to do if your Internet was much faster than it is now? Advanced Activity: Write a letter to your member of parliament requesting that they urgently support funding the roll-out of fibre-optic connections in your city, and mention the benefits giving an example for each. You may need to do some additional research if you aren’t familiar with the topic.