What Will Drive Future Demand for Bandwidth?

[Guest longinvestor]

I strongly disagree that bandwidth requirements are stagnating or will stagnate. 

 

 

There ARE consumer apps that are consuming exponentially more bandwidth-storage (you can't really have one without the other).  GoPro just released a 4K camera.  This is a prime example of an app that will result in much greater bandwidth consumption.  While 4K TVs and monitors are mostly still expensive, they will decline in price just like every other increased screen resolution has.

 

 

http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/05/bandwidth-explosion-as-internet-use-soars-can-bottlenecks-be-averted/

 

 

Voice calls just started going to LTE = more bandwidth.

 

 

Still 4 billion people are not using the Internet at all.  But they will come online over the next two days.  This will equal massively more bandwidth.

 

 

And if we weren't already pushing up against bandwidth supply, indicating growing bandwidth, I could potentially agree.

 

 

We will always demand faster/more bandwidth.  It still takes me an hour to download movies with Comcast.  I want more and faster bandwidth.  I would pay serious money to have Gigabit speeds, but alas, they aren't even available.  I can't wait for that.

 

 

Until we don't have to ever wait for downloads we will want more and faster bandwidth.

 

 

Check out the bandwidth chart here: http://perspectives.mvdirona.com/default,date,2008-12-02.aspx

 

 

I often have to wait for Netflix or Amazon Instant Video to load my video.  Bandwidth isn't even close to slowing down.

 

 

There are still tens of millions of Americans on DSL getting 1-2 Mbps.  When/if they get true broadband or better yet Gigabit speeds, will create another tailwind for more bandwidth consumption.

 

+1. All roads leading to IP. Data, voice, video, live events, software...yes, Porn as well.

 

At infancy at best.

[kfh227]

Regarding dumb terminals over the Internet...

 

I don't think they will take off.  But suppose that they do.  Maybe one day cloud gaming will work.  I'm pretty sure that video will max out at 4K.  We already know that moviegoers don't care about 4K and are satisfied with 2K.

 

Once the demand for bandwidth growth stops, some tech companies may face headwinds.  Historically, what has happened is that revenues shrink.

 

I read a review of someone at AVSForums doing an in home testing for a nearby company that is working on glasses free 4K 3D TVs.    He says that it is unbelievable.  It actually works.  I can't find hte article, but read this:

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1376292289

 

4K is what is making glasses free 3D possible.  In my opinion, we'll probably see 8K some day because it will inevitably make things better for 3D reproduction.  But that might be the end.  WHo knows though.  For all I know 120" screeen sill be cheap one day and that would drive pixel densities up even more.

[constructive]

Three words:  Virtual Reality.....Porn.

 

Yeah, with all 5 senses.

 

Smell is going to take up a lot of bandwidth.