An Analysis of the Growing Flow of Billions of Gigabytes of Digital Data and Its Impact on Public Policy for the Internet.
May 1, 2007 / US Internet Industry Association
Executive Summary / 危機
Weiji [way-jhee], modern Chinese for “crisis”
Whether or not the coming growth in data on the Internet constitutes a looming crisis may depend on the definition of “crisis.” As expressed by an American translation of “weiji:”
The word “crisis” is composed of two characters.
One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.
Recent research reports have suggested that the growth of data created by humans, some of which must inevitably transit the Internet, may create a situation in which it becomes impossible for the Internet infrastructure to handle the capacity demands for data, particularly video. While some have challenged the precise numbers, it is clear that the amount of data traffic on the Internet is growing at an accelerating rate. This will soon create a situation in which billions of gigabytes of data – called exabytes – will transit the Internet each year.
This is the Exabyte Internet.
And while individual consumers may not reach a level of data transfer of this magnitude in the short term, the Internet in the aggregate will. It will be necessary to continue high levels of investment in both the Internet backbone and in the backhaul subsystems that link each consumer to the Internet.
The Exabyte Internet promises to bring new services, applications and opportunities to both consumers and businesses in America, but it will not do so automatically. In addition to investments in additional infrastructure and capacity, there will need to be innovations in core technologies, innovations in network management, flexible strategic plans and a national broadband policy that supports investment and innovation over regulation and a continuation of the status quo.
This paper examines the available data relating to both the danger and the opportunity: the concerns as we move toward an Internet transporting billions of gigabytes of data; the likely effects on consumers, businesses and network operators; and the ramifications on Internet public policy as we grow from a Megabyte Internet to an Exabyte Internet.
It suggests four policy platforms necessary to the future of the Exabyte Internet:
. A better understanding of the data.
. A more realistic view of the Internet infrastructure.
. A “light hand” regulatory approach.
. A focus on investment as the national priority.
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