Some people both in and outside of amateur radio argue that emergency communications can be handled dependable and effectively via email, fax and cellphones. The below article from ARNewsLine explains why it is foolish to depend on fixed plant for communications needs in disasters or emergencies.
**********************************************
From: www.arnewsline.org
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: NEW SURVEY SAYS INTERNET HEADED TO GRIDLOCK
Hams who see emergency communications over the Internet as the future of traffic handling might want to rethink their position. This, if a new report that predicts that Internet usage could outstrip network capacity worldwide in a couple of years proves to be as accurate as it seems to be. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the details:
--
The study was conducted by the advisory firm Nemertes Research. The report is the first to assess the Internet infrastructure and current model as well as projected traffic patterns independent of one another. And it says that the Internet access infrastructure, specifically in North America, will cease to be adequate for supporting demand within the next three to five years.
But that’s not all. The Nemertes report says that the cost required to make capacity meet demand is in the area of $42 billion to $55 billion in the United States. This would primarily be spent on broadband access capacity. The firm says that figure is 60 to 70 percent beyond the $72 billion service providers are planning to invest.
Even bigger is the required investment globally to keep data flowing freely
across the Internet. It's is estimated at $137 billion, again primarily in broadband access."
If the reports authors are correct, Internet users could increasingly encounter Internet brownouts or other interruptions to their applications they use online. For example, it may take more than one attempt to confirm an online purchase or it may take longer to download the latest video from a site like YouTube. And for hams trying to communicate using radio to Voice over Internet Protocol technology it could mean a major slowdown in message delivery speed. And when lives are at stake, such a roadblock would be intolerable.
For the amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.
73
Gadfly
**********************************************
From: www.arnewsline.org
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: NEW SURVEY SAYS INTERNET HEADED TO GRIDLOCK
Hams who see emergency communications over the Internet as the future of traffic handling might want to rethink their position. This, if a new report that predicts that Internet usage could outstrip network capacity worldwide in a couple of years proves to be as accurate as it seems to be. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has the details:
--
The study was conducted by the advisory firm Nemertes Research. The report is the first to assess the Internet infrastructure and current model as well as projected traffic patterns independent of one another. And it says that the Internet access infrastructure, specifically in North America, will cease to be adequate for supporting demand within the next three to five years.
But that’s not all. The Nemertes report says that the cost required to make capacity meet demand is in the area of $42 billion to $55 billion in the United States. This would primarily be spent on broadband access capacity. The firm says that figure is 60 to 70 percent beyond the $72 billion service providers are planning to invest.
Even bigger is the required investment globally to keep data flowing freely
across the Internet. It's is estimated at $137 billion, again primarily in broadband access."
If the reports authors are correct, Internet users could increasingly encounter Internet brownouts or other interruptions to their applications they use online. For example, it may take more than one attempt to confirm an online purchase or it may take longer to download the latest video from a site like YouTube. And for hams trying to communicate using radio to Voice over Internet Protocol technology it could mean a major slowdown in message delivery speed. And when lives are at stake, such a roadblock would be intolerable.
For the amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles.
73
Gadfly