AT&T says that without heavy investments in hardware and networking from companies like itself, the Internet will be a series of clogged tubes by 2010. While that’s perhaps hyperbole on some levels, he’s right: as the number of people and devices that use the Internet increases, as well as the size of the data payloads people use, the Internet is going to reach capacity.
To make a point, Jim Cicconi, VP of legislative affairs, says that the internet needs $55 billion in the US alone in the next three years to meet capacity.
Where will the money come from? Our broadband bills might be footing the cost in the long run, but the companies that maintain the Internet have enough to keep it going for now. These predictions were made in 2002 about 2006 being the end of the Net, yet here we are.
Everyone is always saying this “Oh the internet is going to get too bogged down” “We need to move to IPv6″ “my outlook runs slow.” The basic idea behind TCP/IP and Layer 2 and Layer 3 network devices is that they won’t bog down.
If there are more devices going online then of course providers will need to increase the number of switches and routers (routers only as they subnet out more addresses), but I’m curious as to what the Telcos usually spend in a year to expand and upgrade their networks. I’m guessing this is just them publicly saying what they normally spend as an excuse to bill more.