I really don't need to point this out..
The Internet is a single entity as much as it is a big truck that you just dump something on. You do not simply put $150 billion into "The Internet" and rewire it.
Here's how it always has and always will go down:
1: Server X is created using inexpensive technology
2: Time passes
3: Server X gains popularity/encounters increased bandwidth demand
4: Server X purchases expensive/modern technology
5: Server X meets bandwidth demand
GOTO 2
Now, I can see that if some really bored nutsack thought it would be cool to sit down and project the total amount of money that will be poured into the purchase of fibre optic cable and spankin' new servers over the next 3 years in order to meet the projected bandwidth demands, they might come up with a global figure of $150 bil. But there is no one entity that will foot that bill. There is no one infrastructure that will receive that one massive upgrade. Newgrounds will probably buy another server, but Homestar Runner seems to work fine. Amazon and Ebay may want to grab another, maybe Tripod will see an explosion of growth. Little by little it'll add up, and hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of (relatively) tiny systems will be upgraded with the passing of time to meet the gradually increasing bandwidth demand.
To say that the Internet is going to brownout at any time in the near future is like saying that the world is going to run out of hard drive space because everyone's personal computers and laptops are downloading an increasing amount of porn. It then goes on to assume that one person is going to buy new computers for everyone en masse with one massive check at one single point in time. While I would love to get a new laptop and have some disgustingly rich schmuck foot the bill, it's simply not going to happen like that.
Slashdot Mirror
I really don't need to point this out.. The Internet is a single entity as much as it is a big truck that you just dump something on. You do not simply put $150 billion into "The Internet" and rewire it. Here's how it always has and always will go down: 1: Server X is created using inexpensive technology 2: Time passes 3: Server X gains popularity/encounters increased bandwidth demand 4: Server X purchases expensive/modern technology 5: Server X meets bandwidth demand GOTO 2 Now, I can see that if some really bored nutsack thought it would be cool to sit down and project the total amount of money that will be poured into the purchase of fibre optic cable and spankin' new servers over the next 3 years in order to meet the projected bandwidth demands, they might come up with a global figure of $150 bil. But there is no one entity that will foot that bill. There is no one infrastructure that will receive that one massive upgrade. Newgrounds will probably buy another server, but Homestar Runner seems to work fine. Amazon and Ebay may want to grab another, maybe Tripod will see an explosion of growth. Little by little it'll add up, and hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of (relatively) tiny systems will be upgraded with the passing of time to meet the gradually increasing bandwidth demand. To say that the Internet is going to brownout at any time in the near future is like saying that the world is going to run out of hard drive space because everyone's personal computers and laptops are downloading an increasing amount of porn. It then goes on to assume that one person is going to buy new computers for everyone en masse with one massive check at one single point in time. While I would love to get a new laptop and have some disgustingly rich schmuck foot the bill, it's simply not going to happen like that.