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Bandwidth Crunch Looms for Cable Companies

Posted by samzenpus on from the the-tubes-are-almost-full dept.

coax4life writes "While Verizon and AT&T lay fiber, cable companies are looking at a huge bandwidth crunch according to a new report. Increased demand for high-def programming on the TV side and faster download speeds on the ISP side of the business will leave cable companies in a rough spot — after spending over $100 billion in the last decade on infrastructure improvements. Jumping on the fiber bandwagon may help. 'Upgrading to a fiber infrastructure is a much more expensive proposition, and one more likely to occur in areas where the cable companies are facing more competition. It can happen, though — several years ago, Comcast's predecessor on the northwest side of Chicago laid fiber on top of its existing coaxial installation. The payoff is good for both cable companies and users, as it can result in more programming choices and faster Internet access.' Moving to switched digital video solutions will also help."

4 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. obligatory Homer Simpson quote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Internet? Is that thing still around?

    1. Re:obligatory Homer Simpson quote by HAKdragon · · Score: 4, Funny

      I heard they have it on computers now.

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  2. It's only fair by AvitarX · · Score: 3, Funny

    That we prevent companies from putting down new technology that competes with cable.

    That way everything stays the same.

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  3. Re:This would not be a problem by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Funny

    If these companies could buy "blood bandwidth" from the mines in Africa. The companies did buy blood bandwidth, from the days of ARPANET until the late 90's, but after much public outcry they enacted the Bedminster Process Certification Scheme (BPCS).

    The BPCS originated from a meeting of American telephone companies in Bedminster, New Jersey, USA (former home of pre-breakup AT&T) in May 2000. It was enacted in 2003 to assure consumers that by purchasing bandwidth they were not financing war and human rights abuses.

    Some say it does not go far enough. For instance, Amnesty International says "[We] welcome the Bedminster Process as an important step to dealing with the problem of conflict bandwidth. But until the bandwidth trade is subject to mandatory, impartial monitoring, there is still no effective guarantee that all conflict bandwidth will be identified and removed from the market."
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