Better management will prevent web gridlock

The predicted dramatic slowdown of the internet by 2010 will not be solved simply by throwing more resources at the problem, according to broadband resource specialist Operax.

A recent report from Nermetes Research suggested that the internet will be unable to cope with the sheer scale of data within three years.

While action needs to be taken to avoid an impending gridlock which would damage key revenue-generating services, Operax reckons that costly investment in new networks is not the only answer.

"The problem is that the internet, as it was originally designed, is simply not up to the task of managing the ever increasing demands being put upon it," said Chris Merrick, chief marketing officer at Operax.

"In this respect it bears a close resemblance to the congestion experienced on motorways where commuters are faced with chronic gridlock especially during rush hour.

"Similarly, no one could have predicted the rise of the new generation of applications gaining such popularity on the internet such as YouTube, Facebook and MySpace."

Such applications demand a great deal of bandwidth and are jamming the networks carrying the information and degrading overall performance quality, according to Merrick.

But simply building larger networks will only solve the problem temporarily, in much the same way as building an extra lane on a motorway only briefly eases traffic congestion.

Rather, it is essential for operators and ISPs to take a much more intelligent approach to the use of their networks.

"Technology already exists whereby operators can view all the network resources they have in use at any one time and make sure that it is deployed in the most efficient manner," said Merrick.

"By this means, premium services can be allocated resources in real time to ensure quality for a particular session or service.

"Service providers will therefore be able to guarantee customers the quality of their internet sessions for innovative new services without the need to buy extra capacity or upgrade the entire network."