2010: D-day for the Internet as it hits "full capacity"?

Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:19PM EDT

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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?

Comments on 2010: D-day for the Internet as it hits "full capacity"?

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  • 26 Posted by dac52991 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    I personally find this problem to be largely overstated. Many organizations, protocols and standards have been created in order to deal with problems such as expansion of the Internet and growing bandwidth need. It is obvious there is a problem, and its going to be costly. High end devices used in the backbone are certainly not cheap and require constant maintanence. However, technoloagies continue to improve at an extrordinary rate and a solution to the problem should be made before there is a major issue with a price tag that won't be equally destructive. Companies know they can't afford for the Internet to crash and are prepared to do whatever nessesary at any cost to deal with this problem.

  • 27 Posted by melaniee_stevens on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think this is entirely AT&Ts problem. So your solution is to find another provider. Problem solved. LOL!!

  • 29 Posted by metallicafan5436 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just another tactic 2 rid us of our freedoms..... Dont buy it ppl!!! darn BANKERS

  • 32 Posted by kwilson1985 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hi, we're AT&T. Our usefulness has dwindled to virtual nothingness in the past few years, so now we're going to pretend that the internet is going to die so people will give us money.

  • 33 Posted by squallpl on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    There WAS life before the internet.

  • 34 Posted by kwilson1985 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hi, we're AT&T. Our usefulness has dwindled to virtual nothingness in the past few years, so now we're going to pretend that the internet is going to die so people will give us money.

  • 35 Posted by k94life2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    2010 huh? Sure. Remember the "crash" of all computer for New Years 2000. Y2K? Nothing happened. Computers didn't fall apart. Calm down, the sky isn't falling.

  • 36 Posted by sellersm3 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    How many people believe AT&T is telling the truth? If you believe, raise your hand. To all those who just raised their hands: I have a Florida condo to sell you, right on the beach, not finished yet but will be soon. You can flip it. Please call me.

  • 37 Posted by onetwelvedoc on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    I blame Global warming!! The increased heat has frozen the net in a NEW ICE AGE!!

  • 39 Posted by cjts98 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    OMG, I'd die! Not the internet! NOH!

  • 40 Posted by kaaos22m on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is the biggest crock I've heard in a while. hahahah with the advances in technology day after day. The advances in the size of the video, among other things will decrease as well. It's rediculous to think that this would happen, and completely reminds me of "Y2K!". Please, what a joke...

  • 41 Posted by earlg940 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    Now that major companies are sticking it to us at the pump, others are going to stick it to us at the modem!!!!!!

  • 42 Posted by demyx50 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    So they're pointing fingers at Youtube?

  • 43 Posted by privateervideo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's definitely going to force more providers to start replacing the copper that's out there now with fiber - and that's just to start!

  • 44 Posted by staystrap91 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    hahahahhhaha this is like what happened in South Park!

  • 45 Posted by justin_ltg on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    bandwidth will be fine. corporations are spending large amounts of money to update their infrastructures. with the proliferation of ethernet over the wan that will change they dynamic of home internet connections. comcast is going to offer 50Mb connections for 150 a month to the end user. you will not realize this, but even if you pull 15/20 Mb you have a smokin pipe at home. don't let the doomsday profits scare you. these companies are out to make money, and they will invest to make sure that you and I are surfing at acceptable speeds for you tube, P2P generation.

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