With increased popularity of social networking sites, video downloads and high-bandwidth applications, the Internet is in danger of inching close to its capacity, warns an Internet organization.
The Internet Innovation Alliance put out an announcement today cautioning that steps need to be taken by businesses and industry to prevent what it calls a coming "Exaflood". The strain on the Internet has been brought about by high-bandwidth applications and downloads, so much so that in 2007 the amount of information created will surpass for the first time the storage capacity available, according to a new IDC report as attributed in an IIA statement.
“Bandwidth-intensive applications like video and music are redefining the Internet,” said Larry Irving, co-chairman of the IIA and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Clinton Administration in a statement. “The strain on broadband and the coming of this massive data deluge is called the exaflood. The exaflood challenge will be manageable, even exciting – if we take the necessary steps to expand our networks now.”
IIA is advocating investment in infrastructure, consumer protection, increasing competition and limiting governement control as methods of helping to alleviate the capacity issue going forward.
