• The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11 AM

Stories about the Web's clogging infrastructure have always been around, but network operators have been able to avoid the problem by adding routers and other hardware, keeping the Web's backend running in line with demand. But once again, rumors of a clogging Internet are mounting. The latest concern stems from the proliferation of Web 2.0 sites and services. One minute of video, for example, can require 10 times the bandwidth of audio, or more.

According to Cisco Systems, which manufactures networking hardware, American Web video sites transmit more data per month than the entire Web in 2000. Estimates claim say that peer-to-peer file-sharing networks represent a hefty one-third or more of all Internet traffic.

The result? Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu says Web users would likely see brownouts, slowdowns and other service issues this year. So far that hasn't happened. A big part of the problem is that telecom and cable companies that provide Web access oversubscribe their networks in the hope that not everyone will use lot of bandwidth at the same time. Cable companies provide bandwidth in pockets, which means your neighbors could be slowing down service when streaming or downloading video. There's no doubt that increased consumption of such content will place a strain on the Web; the question now is when and how bad the problem will be.

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