Internet bottleneck within eight years?

The internet could be on the brink of a capacity crunch, according to Professor Andrew Ellis of Aston University.

“Demand for internet capacity keeps soaring, and we’re now reaching the point where it’s increasingly difficult to stay ahead of that demand using current approaches. It’s incredible we’ve managed to stay ahead this long, but now researchers are finding they just cannot fit much more data down traditional fibre optic lines,” he said.

He offers two options: deploy more fibres and increase costs, or make radical changes to the way data is used or distributed. “We should start having the conversation now: are consumers willing to accept higher charges for increased bandwidth or can we be more considered about the capacity we consume? Will we lay additional cables, or will we look to the likes of Netflix to help us manage demand?” asks Ellis.

The subject will be discussed at Lightfest, to be held on Friday 25th September at the Library of Birmingham. Hosted by Aston University, the Library of Birmingham and the Flatpack Film Festival, Lightfest is funded by the European Commission as part of European Researchers’ Night.

steve bush

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