Tera-play is the next generation of connectivity supported by communications service provider

Communications Service Provider

A communications service provider or CSP is a service provider that transports information electronically. The term encompasses public and private companies in the telecom , Internet, cable, satellite, and managed services businesses.The market in which a communication service provider specializes...

s. While triple play

Triple play (telecommunications)

In telecommunications, triple play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of two bandwidth-intensive services, high-speed Internet access and television, and a less bandwidth-demanding service, telephone, over a single broadband connection. Triple play focuses on a combined business...

 and quadruple play

Quadruple play

In telecommunications, quadruple play is a marketing term combining the triple play service of broadband Internet access, television and telephone with wireless service provisions...

 describe multiple communications services offered by the same company, Tera-play describes support for communications services between people and between machines when a trillion devices are connected to the telecommunications network

Telecommunications network

A telecommunications network is a collection of terminals, links and nodes which connect together to enable telecommunication between users of the terminals. Networks may use circuit switching or message switching. Each terminal in the network must have a unique address so messages or connections...

 (“Tera-” means trillion). This includes not only phones and personal electronics, but things like cars, TVs, refrigerators and medical devices.

Connected devices

The number of devices connected to the network is predicted to reach 7 trillion by 2017. This has the potential to affect every aspect of daily life, including communication, home, healthcare, education, entertainment, and transportation. Many enabling technologies already exist, and usage is expanding. Tera-play providers will not only connect billions of people to each other but also people to machines and machines to machine

Machine to Machine

Machine-to-Machine refers to technologies that allow both wireless and wired systems to communicate with other devices of the same ability...

s. The connection of objects to the network is sometimes referred to as the Internet of Things

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things refers to uniquely identifiable objects and their virtual representations in an Internet-like structure. The term Internet of Things was first used by Kevin Ashton in 1999. The concept of the Internet of Things first became popular through the Auto-ID Center and related...

.

A connected world

The increase in connectivity, smart devices, content, applications, and services will enable a more connected world, which has the potential to revolutionize markets, communities, and entire industries. For example, emerging markets are now receiving access to critical services as result of connected networks and devices. Through m-health initiatives, people in rural areas lacking in healthcare infrastructure can receive medical support. In developed markets, patients will be able to access connected health

Connected Health

Connected Health is a term used to describe a model for healthcare delivery that uses technology to provide healthcare remotely. Connected health aims to maximize healthcare resources and provide increased, flexible opportunities for consumers to engage with clinicians and better self-manage their...

 or telehealth

Telehealth

Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. Telehealth could be as simple as two health professionals discussing a case over the telephone or as sophisticated as doing robotic surgery between facilities at different ends of the...

 services via remote monitoring systems and “virtual doctor visits” supported in Canada by TELUS

TELUS

Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...

 and in Germany by Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....

. In regions of Africa where banking services are scarce, network connection allows consumers to pay using mobile payment services or m-commerce transactions that support microfinance

Microfinance

Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....

 such as Vodafone

Vodafone

Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...

’s m-pesa

M-Pesa

M-PESA is the product name of a mobile-phone based money transfer service for Safaricom, which is a Vodafone affiliate. It was initially developed by Sagentia before transitioning to IBM...

 services.

In September 2008, Yankee Group

Yankee Group

Yankee Group, a Massachusetts company, sells advice and market-research information relating to information technology.-History:Founded in 1970, the Yankee Group emerged as the first independent technology research and consulting firm...

analysts estimated that one out of seven people worldwide were plugged into what they call the “Anywhere Network,” where people are always connected no matter where they are. They have since forecasted that consumer spending on anywhere access and service will total more than $972 billion in 2013.