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Is the internet doomed?

Posted on 11 Mar 2008 at 17:21

Upgrading the network to cope with the heavy demand of BBC iPlayer traffic could cost ISPs an extra £830 million by 2011, according to Ofcom, the communications watchdog, and as ever the key point is who carries the cost - the Beeb, ISPs, BT or the consumer?

In the end, this is a high-stakes game of poker; all the parties know there's a huge pot to be won but none of them wants to show their hand until the right moment. What this means to end users is that we won't get the best technology as soon as possible, only when the players are ready to up the ante. And we can expect higher prices. It's far from ideal, but at least we're unlikely to see the web fall over any time soon.

Click here to read 'BT's new network: A holy grail?'.

Author: Stewart Mitchell