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Are We Running Out of Bandwidth?

Posted December 19, 2007 8:05 AM

Several news organizations have reported recently that within 10 years, the current capacity of the Internet infrastructure will prove inadequate to cope with skyrocketing demand. This editorial from Information Week along with readers' comments describes the situation, but recommends that we take the conclusion with a grain (or several) of salt. Recommending that people spend billions of dollars on new communications equipment might hold more sway if some of the companies funding the study were not suppliers of that equipment.

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Engineering Management, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Engineering Management today.

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electrone
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 377
Good Answers: 2
#1

Re: Are We Running Out of Bandwidth?

12/20/2007 9:20 AM

My preference is that all Internet data exchange be at 56kb. Yet I realize that in many cases, a higher rate of data transfer is warranted.
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Nate
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United States - Member - Woohoo Engineering Fields - Mechanical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Greer, SC, USA
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Good Answers: 1
#2

Re: Are We Running Out of Bandwidth?

12/20/2007 10:50 AM

I think we need to consider "green" bandwidth and preserve some of these precious virgin electrons for future generations.

(If I make a movie about this, do you think I could get a Nobel Peace Prize?)

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Sparkstation
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New Zealand - Member - Interested in everything- see my Profile please APIX Pilot Plant Design Project - Member - Member Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Power Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Civil Engineering - Member Hobbies - Musician - Autoharp and Harmonica Hobbies - Hunting - Member Hobbies - Fishing - Member

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Christchurch, (The Garden City), South Island, New Zealand
Posts: 4395
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#3

Re: Are We Running Out of Bandwidth?

12/21/2007 12:46 AM

I've definitely run out of it here, a few years ago.

But the problem is my ISP, the largest in New Zealand

Years ago, I advised NZ Telecom re the ADSL technology, which their Communications Manager at the time had never actually heard of.

When ADSL first started here, I could easily get 24Mbits/sec Down and 4Mbits/sec Up, and things were fine and dandy.

Unfortunately a marketing exercise was carried out, and "Broadband" was touted and sold to all and sundry.

The result is now my "Broadband" Internet has slowed to a crawl.

I have the opposition cable system running in the street outside, but reasonable prices only allow for 1GB of total traffic per month, then the price steeply rises.

So, don't say Internet traffic is slow.

Here I cannot watch Utube anymore, because it takes 10 minutes or more to start to open a video clip, and even "Internet Radio" (an oxymoron) is extremely slow, so that any programme over 48kbits/sec, has now "fallen by the wayside', if I want to also use A Browser.

Most of the time, the old dial-up was faster, back in 1993, when I operated Windows v3.1, and we had the "Gopher" in NCSA Mosaic (remember the gopher), who ran off the screen, to find what you asked for, sometimes getting lost in his journey.

So, what to do? Emigrate?

"Broadband" here in New Zealand is a joke in very bad taste.

The NZ bandwidth is also crippled by the PACRIM cable, also to US/Australia.

We shall see what "The New Year" brings us...

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DavidaRheault
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#4
In reply to #3

Re: Are We Running Out of Bandwidth?

12/23/2007 3:45 AM

I don't have the technical observations you share, but I can tell you my "observed" speed of interaction with anything online is as slow now as my first experiences some 18 years ago.

Yeah sure, it all looks alot better, but no matter how much speed I pay for on time warner cable, with direct connection, (no wireless divices to slow it down), it still is just as slow as 18 years ago, to do anything!

Can't wait 'til THEY get slower.

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