http://www.portfolio.com/views/columns/dual-perspectives/2009/03/23/Bu
ilding-It-OutEvery day I open my computer and log onto to the Internet in a matter of seconds – I check my favorite sites, read the email, do a few searches, and visit social networking sites. The Internet is undeniably one of the most widely used resources across the globe, and in the past five years is has grown to nearly 75 times its size. The number of global Internet users is quickly growing, so much that “global Internet traffic is likely to quadruple by 2012”. An interesting point is that most of the content accessed by web users is in the form of video files streamed through user –generated sites like You tube. The dominance of video streaming – in whichever context it is utilized for, as means of exchanging information, vocalizing opinion or data, or simply for entertainment, is more than apparent when considering that it will account for more than 90 percent of global traffic by 2012.
The capabilities of the Internet however may have challenges keeping up with the demand of its users. The pressure is on the providers now to come up with the necessary bandwidth. The softwares are available and ready to be put into use if the company is willing to make the effort. With the growing demand of consumers, Internet providers will make the necessary improvements. One of the most impressive of these improvements mentioned in the article is a system of Internet cables being laid “to, form and within Asia…that will boost international connection speeds and reduce network latency”.
An interesting point is the responsibility of the Internet users. Not all users play but the rules of Internet traffic and many don’t know how to navigate the roads properly. The unreliability and vulnerability that has hindered the functioning of Internet is generated largely by ill-equipped traffickers. As the article briefly suggests, he future of the Internet lies not only in the expansion of bandwidth but also in the knowledge and capability of the user.
