Could it be that we, as rabid American consumers, are becoming too reliant on bandwidth much in the same way we’ve got ourselves in the little pickle that is oil dependency? Are we becoming a nation that is addicted to bandwidth? According to this article, the answer is yes.
Bandwidth is of course what enables us to talk on cell phones, watch cable TV, and go on World of Warcraft raides over the internet. The author states that we need to start looking at bandwitch and those that control access to bandwidth, in the same way that we do oil and gas. That is, we need to open up access to alternative supplies of bandwidth before our consumption rates reach the point of no return. Much of our economy these days is dependant on what access to bandwidth brings us, so taking a closer look into the issue seems like a sound idea.
One comment so far.
This is actually a really important issue (usually as part of the Net Neutrality issue) that I predict will be on everyone’s radar within the next few years. Some ISPs are already beginning to experiment with what they can get away with in regards to bandwidth throttling and access restrictions. In order for the Internet to remain viable for business, bandwidth must remain open and transparent. The only way this will happen is if our government manages to resist being beholden to the major telecom lobbies. If you have read this far in this article, you clearly care about this issue - contact your representatives and let them know you support net neutrality. And vote for politicians who aren’t in telecom’s pocket.