Internet Traffic Growth: Sources and Implications

A 2003 paper essential for understanding internet traffic growth and debunking its myths.

Internet Traffic Growth: Sources and Implications

The high-tech bubble was inflated by myths of astronomical Internet traffic growth rates. Yet although these myths were false, Internet traffic was increasing very rapidly, close to doubling each year since 1997. Moreover, it continues growing close to this rate. This rapid growth reflects a poorly understood combination of any feedback loops operating on different time scales. Evidence about past and current t growth rates and their sources is presented, together with speculations about the future. The expected rapid but not astronomical growth of Internet traffic is likely to have important implications for networking technologies that are deployed and for industry structure. Backbone transport is likely to remain a commodity and be provided as a single high-quality y service. It is probable that backbone revenues will stay low, as the complexity, cost, and revenue and profit opportunities continue to migrate towards the edges of the network.

Download the paper here

Photo by Daniel Chen

Related Articles

Local sellers, Global consumers 2022: Capturing the e-commerce export opportunity in Vietnam

Local sellers, Global consumers 2022: Capturing the e-commerce export opportunity in Vietnam

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Vietnam are in a prime position to reap significant benefits from the rapid...

8 Jun 2023 Reports
The Economic Impact of Generative AI: The Future of Work in India

The Economic Impact of Generative AI: The Future of Work in India

India is poised to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive economic growth and development at scale. With...

7 Jun 2023 AI Policy Lab reports
The future of smartphones: Effectively regulating direct-to-handsets services

The future of smartphones: Effectively regulating direct-to-handsets services

Step into the transformative potential of direct-to-handset (DTH) satellite communications by downloading our latest white paper. The rapid evolution of...

1 Jun 2023 Reports
The Economic Impact of Generative AI: The Future of Work in the Philippines

The Economic Impact of Generative AI: The Future of Work in the Philippines

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a rapidly growing field in the Philippines and is predicted to make a significant contribution...

31 May 2023 AI Policy Lab reports