Referring to the Negroponte Switch as an “end state” seems to be a misnomer.  To date, I’ve considered this term to reflect more of the dynamics in the industry versus a convergence on some stable, final state.  The truth is that we will never witness an “end state” in the constant search for improved connectivity.

The switch was never meant as an “end state” but a general industry movement that talked about a fundamental change in transmission: 1) broadcast from airwaves to undersurface cable, as TVs were primarily stationary, and 2) telephony from underground cable to airwaves, as phones belonged “on the person” rather than “on the wall.“  The interesting switchbacks we are now observing are mobile TV and VoIP (broadband/fixed versus mobile).