2010: D-Day for the Internet

[DeMoN]

Too many users and high-definition video downloading will be the end for the internet?

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/90339

Doom-filled warnings arrive from AT&T this week. The company says that without substantial investment in network infrastructure, the Internet will essentially run out of bandwidth in just two short years.

Blame broadband, says AT&T. Decades of dealing with the trickle of bandwidth consumed by voice and dialup modems left AT&T twiddling its thumbs. The massive rise of DSL and cable modem service in the 2000s has had AT&T facing a monstrous increase in the volume of data transmissions. And that's set to increase another 50 times between now and 2015. That's enough, says AT&T, to all but crash the system.

In response, AT&T says it's investing $19 billion to upgrade the backbone of the Internet, the routers, servers, and connections where the bulk of traffic is processed.

Of course, AT&T is using this breathlessness in part to point fingers beyond simple broadband use. Web video (especially high-definition video) is the most commonly mentioned bandwidth hog. AT&T says video alone will eat up 80 percent of traffic in two years vs. just 30 percent now. One wonders how YouTube doesn't collapse under the pressure. Hmmm.

Meanwhile, many are wondering whether this is prelude to AT&T announcing (or not announcing, but doing anyway) a traffic prioritization/shaping system like Comcast has been tinkering with... and which has earned it nothing but scorn. Net neutrality (which would forbid premium pricing for certain Internet applications and destinations) is a topic that continues to be hotly debated on Capitol Hill, and telcos are anxious to kill the idea since they'd love to be able to charge additional money for different kinds of web traffic. If the whole Internet is about to crash, well, that makes AT&T's argument all the more compelling, doesn't it?

 

[Urza]

AT&T is full of shit.

 

[Hadrian]

Have they've been watching South Park and took it too seriously?

 

[Destructobot]

We'd better download as much as possible now, before all the bandwidth runs out!

 

[Orc]

I've been saving some internets in jars just in case something like this happens. I think I'll have enough for everyone in GBAtemp by 2010 so all of you can crash and camp over here.

 

[Hadrian]

I'm planning on inventing a new form of internet called OuterPantyhose and it'll run off idiotic n00b thoughts, so should last a while.

Working on something else as well that runs off bad jokes, hell me and Scubersteve could run that until will both die.

 

[Orc]

Working on something else as well that runs off bad jokes, hell me and Scubersteve could run that until will both die.

Once it's running though, what does it do?

 

[Hadrian]

It'll work in pretty much the same way as the OuterPantyhose, only running on bad jokes.

 

[2cb2ct7]

You guys better save me some internets, damn you!

Seriously though... AWESOME avatar and sig Orc... Loving the TakoOrcy. Is that sig from Spiral manga?

Your avatar is pretty damn sweet too Urza! Where is that from?

 

[legendofphil]

Blame the ISPs, they didn't invest when they should have and hoarded the money they made.
In the UK ISPs are saying the BBC should pay towards the upgrades because of iPlayer.

Also blame the consumer, they want cheap broadband but want the most out of it.

 

[Panzer Tacticer]

Same trouble is troubling Canadian users and providers.

The only solution I can see, is just take the physical infrastructure from them (the providers) "sorry this is now public property" and treat it the way we would sewers, roads, power supply, and make the public pay the needed costs to upgrade the physical portion of the internet to the 21st century.

Otherwise, more and more people trying to use a finite resource is eventually just not going to cut it.
Legit uses have just as much of an effect as non legal functions. And in time, even just legal uses will expect too much from too little.

No one is going to continue paying the same ole fee for service that is becoming less and less of what they paid for.

Many things go up in price, but at least you still get what you paid for. I didn't enjoy a loaf of bread rising to 2 bucks recently, but at least I got a full loaf of bread. They didn't tell me I could only have 10 slices, not the entire loaf.

 

[science]

Ah, just wait. Everyone will be watching the Olympics in 2010, the bandwidth used will plummet.

Unless they watch the Olympics streamed over the internet...

 

[superrob]

Nah... this wont happend. And seriously every single optical fiber cable can transfer all calls made in Denmark in just one little cable.

And these cables are OVERALL the world.

Correct me if im wrong.

 

[silent sniper]

We'd better download as much as possible now, before all the bandwidth runs out!

this.

but, yes, AT&T is pretty full of shit